Happy sunday people. Its the season of rain and paying attention to our automobiles should be a top priority in our minds. Few days ago, i talked about car tyres and knowing the codes on them which seems so important. Today, considering recent car crashes and uprise in auto accidents on our major ways and even local routes, one but wonder how these occurences happen. Meanwhile, in a recent stat by the FRSC, poor weather and bad driving habit form the core cause of road accidents. So ladies and gentlemen, stay with me as i bring to you safety tips from Kunle Shonaike, automedic expert, on how to drive when its raining and the necessary precautions to take.
It is the time of the year with heavy rain and unfortunately with rain comes loads of road accidents. According to the Federal Road Safety Corps, a reasonable percentage of all road accidents are weather-related, with the majority occurring during cloudy/darkened weather and/or on wet tarmac in the rain. Wet driving conditions can be very hazardous for a number of reasons. Roads that are wet from the rain build up a film of oily water and grease that make it more difficult for tyres to gain traction. Additionally, driver visibility decreases greatly in rainy conditions.
While driving in the rain cannot altogether be avoided, extra
precautions can be taken by the driver being vigilant and
practising the best road safety methods when it’s essential to
drive in the rain.
Tips on how to drive in the rain:
Demist your front and back windscreens: This may seem like
a simple tip but you must ensure you have the best vision
possible when driving in the rain. Therefore, make sure that
your front and, especially, the rear screen defrosters are
working effectively.
Do not use your high beam headlights:
While it is important
to use low beam headlights in the wet, high beam headlights are likely to reflect back on you thus reducing your visibility.
When driving through water: Generally, if the water is deeper
than the bottom of your doors or the bottom third of your
wheels, it is inadvisable to attempt driving through it. Use
extreme caution and slow right down, it is important to watch the flow of the water and how fast it is going. If the water is too high, take a different route rather than driving through the flood and risking damaging your electronic control systems.
Drive in the tracks of the car in front:
Following another car’s tracks on wet roads can reduce the amount of water between the road and your car tyres. Whenever possible, slow down by taking your foot off the accelerator and avoid using your brakes.
Steer into the skid:
The first thing you should do is to remain calm, ease your foot off the accelerator and carefully steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. This is called steering into the skid’ and will bring the back end of your car in line with the front. For cars without anti-lock braking system, avoid using your brakes. If your car has ABS, brake firmly as you
‘steer into the skid.’
Engage in regular auto maintenance:
Make sure you replace old, brittle windshield wipers, since they make already- challenging rainy weather visibility much worse. Check your brakes and tyres regularly. Keep windshield clean and use your windshield defroster to keep the inside of your windows moisture-free.
Be aware of the most dangerous driving conditions:
The road is at its slickest at the beginning of a rainstorm that follows a long dry spell. This is because the residual oil and rubber-dust that has accumulated on the roads will mix with the water to form a very slick, skid-causing mixture. This slippery residue is especially prominent in intersections and other places where cars must idle for periods of time. If possible, avoid driving in the early part of rainstorms that follow long dry periods, and if you must drive, exercise extra caution.
Do not use cruise control:
If your car hydroplanes, the cruise control could actually cause your car to accelerate, which would be particularly dangerous. Use your headlights, but not your high beams: Be sure to turn your headlights on, even in the lightest of rains. Headlights will help you be more visible to other drivers, as well as improve your own visibility. Do not, however, turn on your high beams. Doing so causes the light to bounce off of particles of water in the air, and will create a blinding effect to other drivers.
Be wary of water collected on the road:
Never drive through moving water that you cannot see the ground beneath since doing so could cause your car to be swept off the road. Also, avoid large puddles altogether; driving into deep water or splashing water up under your car can cause considerable damage to your vehicle.
Tap your brakes lightly after crossing through a puddle:
This will help dry out some of the water on your rotors.
Use the centre lanes: Water tends to collect on the sides of
the roads; so drive as closely to the centre of the road as you
can without crossing over the yellow lines or being a hazard to cars around you.
Avoid using the brakes when possible:
If it is safe to do so, slow down by releasing your foot from the throttle pedal rather than hitting the brakes. When you do need to use your brakes, try to brake as early as possible to alert drivers behind you that you are slowing down, and apply a steady but firm pressure.
Maintain a proper distance between your car and the one
ahead:
Under normal conditions, there should be a 10 second
gap, but in the rain, cars need two to three times more stopping distance.
Slow Down:
Decreasing your speed is the most important piece
of advice when driving in the rain. Particularly when
approaching puddles, be cautious. Hitting puddles of even a few inches at high speeds can cause you to lose control of your vehicle and in some instances, vehicles’ engines have knocked through hydro-lock. When driving in wet conditions, you are also more likely to encounter accidents or debris in the road that you will need to avoid. Travelling slowly ensures that you will have time to see and respond in a timely manner, even with decreased visibility and a longer stopping distance.
Please and Please, adhere to these tips and endaevour to pass the message around. God bless us all.
Source: www.punchng.com/columnists/automedics/how-to-drive-in-the-rain/Cc: lalasticlala 1 Like |
