Weather conditions can directly affect your driving techniques. Although conditions such as snow and ice on the road are the first to come to mind for vehicle dominance, driving in the rain is also one of the weather conditions to be considered.
First of all, it is necessary to remember that the road can be more dangerous when the rain has just started, and the ground is not yet completely wet. The oil and dust mixture formed with the first drops of rain turns the asphalt into a slippery and very dangerous surface with low adhesion power. So, how to drive a car in rainy weather? Now, let’s share 10 tips you can use while driving in rainy weather.
1. You Should Increase the Following Distance with Other Vehicles
“What should we pay attention to in traffic when the weather is rainy?” Increasing the following distance is one of the responses to the question. On a wet road, the car needs more distance to be found safely. When it rains, you should double the following distance with the car in front of you.
2.You should slow down your speed
Rain seriously reduces your road vision. Considering the possibility of encountering a negative situation, you should reduce your driving speed. It is also very important to always check your wipers and to have the necessary maintenance if necessary. Eventually, you never know when the rain will come!
3. Avoid braking
With rain, roads can become slippery. Therefore, the braking distance may be longer than you think. You should avoid sudden movements, drive in this direction, and gradually reduce your speed in case you need to stop.
4. Be cautious if tires slip in the water
Aquaplaning usually occurs when passing through a pond or pool of water. As a result of the driver’s loss of control over the vehicle, the tire loses its contact with the road and cannot discharge this water. Reducing speed, never braking, and holding the steering wheel firmly are ways to overcome this aquaplaning effect. In addition, you should not go on the road without winter tires during the winter months. Winter tires provide a healthy grip in conditions such as icing.
5. Drive calmly and safely
Conditions such as nervousness and stress can affect your driving and pull you into negative situations. Although it is important to always drive calmly and safely, special attention should be paid to this issue in snowy and rainy weather. It is best to avoid sharp speed and ride changes as well as the brakes.
6. Take care to keep windows clean and condensed free
Car windows become cloudy with raindrops, and when they fog up, they negatively affect visibility. It is essential to operate the wipers at an appropriate speed and to activate the existing ventilation systems (air conditioning or ventilation) in order to prevent fogging and clear the windows from fog. You can also get help from auxiliary sprays that allow rainwater to slide off the window quickly or prevent fogging.
7. Activate dipped beams
In order to see in the rain and to be seen by other vehicles, you must drive with the dipped beam headlights constantly on.
8. Avoid driving above lines and signs on the road
Along with humidity, your vehicle may lose its grip on the road while driving on lane marking paints, which may be in colours such as yellow and white, which are used to mark the boundaries of roads or to mark pedestrian crossings. Therefore, you should be careful not to go over these lines.
9. Safely follow the vehicle in front of you
Tires dry the road as they pass. Therefore, if you follow the vehicle in front, you can drive on a relatively drier road.
10. Maintain tires, brakes, and shock absorbers well
These three elements make it possible to deal with driving in the rain in a much safer and safer way. For this reason, it is crucial to have your vehicle inspected and maintained regularly. Inspection and maintenance allows you to discover existing or potential problems in your vehicle in advance and to take the necessary precautions.
No matter how careful you are, remember that there is always a risk of an accident in traffic due to someone else’s negligence!
Traffic is a large and dynamic community with many members. Considering in this sense, no matter how careful you are, there is always the possibility of an accident due to the negligence of someone else. If you do not know what to do legally in such cases, we recommend that you contact the accident lawyers.
You may also have the entitlement to claim compensation for damage and injury sustained after the accident. For example, suppose you had an accident in Australia, you were not at fault in the accident and both your car was damaged and you were hospitalised and treated for your injury. You may have the entitlement to compensate for any loss experienced during this process. In such a process, you can contact CTP lawyers to learn what your entitlements are and what the necessary information and documents are.
