MUST READ: How to drive in the rain

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.

. KUNLE SHONAIKE