News

9 Tips For Driving Safely In The Rain

Published

9 years ago

June 21, 2017

rainy-season

Singing in the rain is fun. But driving? For some people, it’s anxiety-producing. But being behind the wheel and a rain-splattered windshield doesn’t have to be a white-knuckled, nerve-racking experience.

Well, the rainy season is here again and bad weather conditions are among the top causes of accidents on our roads.

Here are some tips to keep you safe on the road during this season:

1.The vehicle wiper should be in a good shape. If the wiper is faulty, you will find it hard to clear the water splash off your wind-shield. This will result in poor visibility, which is likely to result in an accident .

2. Brakes should be in good condition. When it rains, the roads become very slippery and some of the water gets into the brake disc. It is therefore advisable to get your brakes functioning well before you hit the road.

3. The brakes work hand-in-hand with the vehicle tyres. If the tyres of your vehicle are worn out, it is proper to replace them with new ones. This will facilitate good brakes on slippery roads. Clean the cover of your headlights when they are foggy. This will give you good light penetration in the evenings when it rains. After a long day, drivers are not likely to spot little details however, the fog light helps the driver with good visibility during bad weather. Drivers in this season must be mindful of their fog and headlights and replace them if they are old and not able to produce the expected light.

4. Vehicles should always have a good air conditioned system. When all the glasses of the vehicle are rolled up, the wind-shield becomes foggy after some time. You will need the air condition to clear the wind-shield.

5. Be on the lookout for sudden events that might occur. When driving through the rains, there are uncertain incidents that happen out of the blues, for example, a pedestrian slipping on the road, a vehicle ahead of you which is having a hard time stopping because of poor brakes, a tree or billboard falling on the highway and the likes. It is also advisable to leave at least four seconds space from the vehicle ahead.

6. During rains, visibility level is poor. If you have problems with your eyes, it is better to let somebody who has good eyesight drive.

7. Do not rely on technology such as cruise control and forward collision warning system. These functions may not be efficient or available due to the rains. Having electronic stability control features such as the anti-skid control or lane-keeping assistant will also be a plus.

8. If your car is hydroplaning (That’s the technical term for what occurs when your tyres are getting more traction on the layer of water on the road than on the road itself—the result is that your car begins to slide uncontrollably) or has little contact with the ground, it is recommended that you slowly take your leg off the gas, remain calm and steer straight or slightly in the direction that you want to go.

9. Avoid driving through flooded roads. The water can enter your engine and cause it to breakdown. At worse, the water can get into the interior of the car or float it in the direction of the floods.