8 Vital Advice For Staying Safe While Traveling in the Storm:

You may remember your driving instructor telling you to “always drive gently” back in the distant past. This should be your motto whether this is raining or just sprinkles outside.

Here are 8 recommendations for driving in the rain.

1. Verify your track.

This is true in all operating circumstances but never is it more important than when it’s raining. When travelling at 100 km/h, your tyres may need to disperse up to 9 litres of water every second through the channels in their tracks. If the track is too deep and your tyres are too worn, water may get trapped here between flexible and the road, which will make it difficult for you to maintain balance.  On regular basis, simply ensure your tyres are in excellent shape.

2. How to respond if you accidentally hydroplane

You risk hydroplaning if there is even a little likelihood that there will be a layer of water between your tyres and the road. This suggests that the water has really lifted your car off the road, causing you to lose control and skid. There will be less street bustle and light guidance. Hydroplaning usually only lasts a few seconds, but those few seconds might seem like an eternity. It is difficult to resist freezing in this situation. The key is to avoid harsh deceleration, slowly reduce the weight of the speeding agent, and avoid making abrupt bends.

3. Hold up until conditions improve 

Appears glaringly evident, yet the most secure type of driving in the downpour isn’t driving in any way. Most likely, there are events when we should be out and about, or it is dry when we set out and we get trapped in a shower. In any case, some of the time there is no motivation behind why our tasks can’t be deferred an hour or two or even set aside for the afternoon. The fewer vehicles out and about in wet climates, the more secure we as a whole are.

4. Make that the blades and light are functioning.

A significant storm severely reduces transparency and impairs our ability to judge distances between our vehicle and other nearby objects. While travelling in the rain, headlamps and brake lights are an absolute need, so be sure they are turned on and functional.

You only realise how powerless your windshield wipers are until the rain starts to fall. The porosity of the windshield can be decreased by wet spots left on it by worn rubber, and the window can even be scratched by worn wipers. Before you go behind the wheel, make sure your wipers are in good working order to avoid being caught out.

5. Reduce speed

Driving cautiously and defensively means slowing down and maintaining a greater distance between you and other automobiles. Maintain a greater distance between you and the car in front by not driving as far as you can. Choose a milestone, then let 4 seconds pass between yourself and you when they pass it. It might be twice as difficult to stop on wet roadways. Also, take breaks early and gently.

6. Avoid diving in the water.

We are constantly cautioned not to jump into streams or lakes if the depth is unclear in the springtime when it gets warmer. You run the risk of really hurting yourself. The same holds for automobiles. It can be challenging to determine how deep puddles are, especially when the water is sloppy (which it quite often is). A legitimate pothole may be concealed by the pool, which would seriously destroy a wheel or the suspension. Having stated that, avoid turning; if you are unable to avoid it, gently brake and cross the road.

7. When the rain becomes really heavy, PULLOVER

No matter how quickly our windshield wipers swoop in and out, they cannot remove sufficient water to maintain permeability during a deluge. In this situation, you ought to stop. Imagine how difficult it is for your tyres to move so much fluid while maintaining the grip at the moment when it’s really heavy. You can literally see a rainstorm rushing over the pavement at that point. Avoid making any changes. If there isn’t a shoulder to pull over on, dramatically lower your pace.

8. Dewax your glass.

In the unlikely event that it’s raining, it’s usually chilly. In these conditions, your warm, moist breath will condense and haze the windscreen in front of you. Your home’s heating and cooling system will stop it from happening. An item of equipment button, which effectively coordinates the conditioning onto the windscreen, is seen on many automobiles. Learn about these safety features so you won’t be searching for them while riding. If you drive an ancient car without a forced air system, roll down a window.

Thus, before you get into your car and press the ignition button, always consider these suggestions the next time you make the choice to test your driving skills on a wet roadway.

Takeaway:

We all need to learn how to drive in the rain from time to time. It cannot be avoided. Given that we are all driving about in enormous metal boxes, it also takes a different type of driving to be effective on dry streets. This type of driving is known as aware driving. Driving becomes more difficult for certain people when the downpour approaches above in many parts of the country and the world. In India, where storms may be quite severe, driving becomes somewhat risky as roadways become obstacle courses. The majority of competent motorists will advise you to stop going in the rain, especially if it is a heavy downpour.

FAQs:

1. How do tyres react to rain?

When the force of the tyre pushing down on the earth equals the pressure generated by the water pushing back up against it, tyres aquaplane. When a layer of water accumulates between the wheels and the road’s surface, especially during intense or protracted rain, this happens.

2. Does rain make tyres last longer?

Tires can wear out more quickly while travelling in bad weather like rainfall, snowfall, and icing because they have to work more to retain grip.

REFERENCES:

Tips for safe trips in rain By RBTyres, Sep17, 2020