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​Automobile Desk – The first rain of monsoon makes the weather pleasant, but it also brings a big challenge for the drivers driving on the roads. During rainy days, it is often seen that a thick mist or fog accumulates on the front and rear windshields as well as the side windows of the vehicle. This fog completely obscures the outside view, making it impossible to see the vehicles coming from the front and rear when looking through the mirror. In such a situation, a little carelessness can cause a serious road accident.

To deal with this problem of low visibility while driving, many modern features are provided in most of the cars. However, due to lack of correct information, people often choose the wrong button or method, which increases the haze instead of reducing it. Let us understand why this moisture accumulates on the mirrors and what is the most effective and correct way to remove it.

Why does fog form on mirrors?

​Fog forming on the glass of a car is directly to science. During rain, when the outside temperature suddenly drops, the temperature and humidity of the car cabin increases due to the breath and body heat of the passengers sitting inside the car. When this hot and humid air inside hits the glass which is in contact with the cold air outside, the process of condensation starts. As a result, fine droplets of water i.e. fog accumulate on the inner surface of the glass.

Use defogger first

​If your car has a defogger feature, then the first and foremost step to clean the glass should be to press this button.

​Rear and Front Defogger: The rear defogger has thin red or brown lines (heating wires) running across the windshield. When switched on, these wires become slightly hot and dry up the moisture accumulated on the glass within a few seconds.

​Front Windshield Defogger: It sends a focused stream of heated air directly onto the windshield, making the glass instantly transparent and providing clear visibility to the driver.

Correct use of air conditioner (AC) if there is no defogger

​Many old or basic cars do not have the option of rear defogger. In such a situation, the car’s air conditioner proves to be the biggest help. During rainy days, many people switch off the AC due to fear of cold or water, which is a wrong decision.
AC not only cools the car, but it also works as an excellent ‘dehumidifier’. As soon as you turn on the AC of the car, it sucks out the moisture from the air inside the cabin. As soon as the air dries, the fog on the glass starts disappearing on its own.

Take care of fresh air mode

​The car’s climate control has two main options—’recirculation mode’ and ‘fresh air mode’. When fog accumulates on the mirrors, always drive the car on fresh air mode. Due to this, outside air comes in, due to which the temperature inside and outside the car becomes balanced. If you keep the recirculation mode on, the moist air in the cabin will continue to circulate and the fog will take longer to clear.

avoid these habits

​In a hurry, many drivers try to wipe the windshield of a moving vehicle with a cloth, tissue paper or their hands. By doing this, stubborn marks of oil and dirt from hands are formed on the glass. These marks scatter the light from the headlights of oncoming vehicles at night, making visibility even worse.