We have several ways to be a good driver, but not everyone can drive smoothly in rainfall. Mother Nature is unpredictable; hence we need to take precautions according to the rainy conditions. Speeding up in heavy rainfall is not an option at all. You need to slow down to save yourself from any hazardous situation.
The roads get slippery and squeaky; you also will encounter a lot of dirt and build-up on the roads. In such cases, there are a few tips and tricks which you can apply in such heavy downpour. They are listed as follows:
Contents
Be Focused
Please keep your eyes open while driving in the state of heavy rainfall. Once negligence hits you in such cases, there can be a high risk of an accident. In conditions like these, there is no room for distraction like using your cell phone, listening to songs, overtaking cars, or talking to the co-drivers. All of this can make you lose your focus and may end you up in an accident.
Drive slowly and attentively, as there can be a lot of mud piles, dirt, or build-ups on the roads due to the heavy rainfall. Your vehicle might get stuck somewhere too so always make sure to save your vehicle from such roads.
Stopping Distance
There should be at least twice as much stopping distance between your vehicle and the one ahead. This is quite important because usually in the tempting rainfall, clutch and brake usage is made religiously. So if your vehicle won’t be distanced, there might be chances that you bump into the vehicle ahead. This can create unnecessary chaos amid rainfall. These distances vary according to weather conditions as there are different meters for dry, wet, packed-snow, and snowy roads.
Cruise Control
The period of rainfall is not the time to showcase your cruise controlling skills. This can have adverse effects on you and the car. Do not use cruise control at all. This will go against you as it affects the speed in weather conditions when the vehicle starts to hydroplane. It can cause the tires of the car to spin faster than usual. You may end up in losing control of the steering wheel, losing traction, and leading to accidents. So easy on the driving skills, and drive smartly.
Avoid Hard Braking
If you are driving fast in the rain, this can result in strong and hard braking practices throughout the journey. Avoid such closure, as hard braking can affect the conditions of the car and might risk its performance as well. In weather conditions, brakes usually take more time to work rather than usual so avoid doing that. Make sure you’re not applying brakes when the wheels are taking a turn as it can make your car spin or flip resulting in accidents.
Get Summer tyres
Most people rely on all-season tyres all year long. We are not saying you cannot use all-season tyres throughout the year but if your place experiences frequent downpours then you really need to put good quality summer tyres in your vehicle.
Having great fuel efficiency, these high-performance tyres offer perfect traction in wet conditions. The wet braking ability is far more superior than any other ordinary tyre. The tread pattern in these tyres is asymmetric with four straight and wide circumferential grooves for hydroplane resistance.
In a nutshell:
Driving in rain can be a little difficult but if you know a few tricks, you can make your journey smoother. Below are the tips you need to keep in mind while driving:
- Be focused and avoid distraction
- Don’t use cruise control
- Don’t put your foot too hard on the brake pedal
- Get good quality summer tyres
The weather can be dangerous but what can make you overcome this situation is by prepping yourself and the car’s safety system.