Driving Safely in the Rain
Far too often drivers do not realize that to drive safely in the rain, you have to change your driving habits and focus even harder on the road. Driving in the rain is ranked as the fifth top cause in driving accidents byPines San Diego Law Office. While driving in the rain, numerous driving factors are affected.
Tires and Traction
First and foremost, your traction on the road is affected greatly. To minimize the loss of traction on a wet and rainy road, high profile tires that are routinely rotated at every other oil change is the best defense against traction problems. Tires can be expensive, but if you can afford a good set made for the rain, then you are already a safer driver.
Your tires are literally the only thing between your car and road. Having bald tires, driving around on a temporary doughnut, or having uneven tire pressure all lead to problems with traction on the road. Don’t forget that many roads have uneven lanes, potholes, or poorly striped lines. You want as much friction as possible when driving in the rain.
Your Brakes
Brakes are also of fundamental importance to driving safely in the rain. You should always be sure you have an adequate amount of brake fluid in your vehicle at all times. During a regular oil change, these fluids are generally topped off, while your brake pads and rotors are checked for wear and tear. Driving with poor brakes in the rain is extremely dangerous as the time needed to stop in the rain is always greater. This goes hand-in-hand with road friction.
You may think your brakes are fine because you can slam them at a red light in dry weather. Do the same thing in the rain and your car may slide right through the traffic signal. Always give yourself adequate time to slow down smoothly and safely in the rain. Brakes can also be affected by water being trapped around the pads. You can usually fix this problem by pumping your brakes while parked to get any water being held in, out of the equation.
Another aspect of brakes is an anti-lock brake system. An ABS is standard in every vehicle created today, but like other parts of a vehicle it can malfunction. If your brakes lock up, you will slide down the watery road until your car decides to stop moving. Pulling the park brake steadily can help you avoid the distance your car slides be assisting in stopping. However, do not quickly pull the parking brake as this can simply cause an ABS failure to turn into double the trouble as the parking brake locks up as well.
Visibility
The number one problem you have in the rain is your visibility. Depending on the size of the raindrops, the thickness of the rain, and overall amount falling at once, you can have decent visibility to almost zero visibility. If you cannot see more than twenty feet in front of yourself, you may actually want to pull over and put on your emergency lights. You can then wait until the rain slows down and you can see.
Visibility is also greatly affected by the cleanliness of your windshield both inside and out. An indoor dirty windshield is far more common as the rain generally is essentially cleaning the outside of your windshield. Keeping the inside of the windshield clean of dust and grime build-up can make a huge difference in visibility in the rain.
One problem many drivers have is the windshield becoming foggy. If your windshield becomes foggy, then turn on your defroster and try to match the temperature outside. Many drivers falsely believe you should always blast the heat. In cold weather, this actually causes the windshield to become foggier. Always try to equalize the temperature inside and out before you adjust to a comfort temperature. Slightly cracking the front windows for a minute or two can help with a foggy windshield as well.
Finally, when it comes to visibility, you want high-quality windshield wipers. If your windshield wipers cannot clear the rain fast enough, then you should honestly pull over until the rain slows down. Be sure to clean your wipers on a regular basis. Get a new set if yours are getting old from wear and tear.
Driving Focus and Staying Alert
While you should always be focused on the road, most drivers never give the road 100% of their attention. When driving in heavy rain, you want your eyes bugged out, and scanning fervently, alert as a gazelle that sees a lion eyeballing them. Make sure you keep yourself several car lengths behind whoever is in front of you. You should be on the alert for drivers who think they are invincible (and there are many) and maintain the safest speed you can.
If you are in a high speed area and feel you cannot keep up, then you should pull over or park somewhere as soon as possible. If you can still drive, but you want to maintain a slow speed, then you want to be in the slow lane so you can drive at your own pace. Ignore other cars that try to get you to speed up. They have the option of driving around you if they believe they can go faster.
Most importantly, ALWAYS wear your seat belt, rain or shine! You have a much higher probability of being in a car accident in the rain, so don’t let it be your last drive on the road. Be safe!
