Driving under the rain is cool if you know what to do and what not to do. Most accidents have occurred involving cars in the rain; that is why it is important to learn some of the basic tips for driving in the rain.
You’ll find some of them below.
1. MAKE SURE YOUR HEAD LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON
When it rains (heavily), it’s pretty difficult to see clearly, this is why you must ensure that your head lights are turned on as you drive. This will enable you see ahead more clearly. If your head lights are bad, fix them because it is also important for the person driving behind you; so they see your tail lights too.
2. KEEP BOTH HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL
Whether or not you’re used to driving with one hand on the steering wheel, when you drive under the rain, make sure you have both your hands on the steering wheel. The roads are usually very slippery during the rains, and you never know what might happen; so to have better grip of your car, you must have both hands on the steering wheel always. Avoid using your phones while you drive as well, as that would stop you from using both hands to drive.
3. KEEP A REASONABLE DISTANCE FROM THE CAR AHEAD OF YOU
As you drive, don’t go too close to the car ahead of you because you never know what they might do at any given time. They may decide to apply their brakes suddenly, and that may be dangerous for you if you’re too close to them. It’s advised to keep a distance of about a second from the vehicle ahead.
4. TRY NOT TO OVER-SPEED
Keep to the speed limit of wherever you find yourself; in fact, it’s better to drive slowly, to enable you have better control of your vehicle.
5. IN CASE OF HYDROPLANING
Stop pedalling, and try to steer yourself in the direction you should go. Do not make any sudden turns, as that may be disastrous. And in case you don’t know what hydroplaning is, it is loss of steering or braking control when a layer of water prevents direct contact between tires and the road.
6. AVOID FLOODED ROUTES (ROADS)
Flooded roads are bad. Your vehicle can get damaged in a flooded road or worse still, you can lose control of your car in a flooded area. So avoid such roads as much as you can.
7.MIND THE BRAKES
Wet drum type brakes tend to perform poorly when used in deep waters.
8. MIND THE FOGGY WINDSCREEN
The windscreen tends to form a fog when it rains because of the cold. When this happens, do not use your hands to clean it with a dry towel, that is not safe, turn on the defroster in your car to clear the fog, and if there’s none in your car, the AC is a good option. If you have none of these, park somewhere and wipe them off with a dry cloth, so you can see better.
So you’ve seen those useful tips, now do ensure you apply them for your own safety.
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