How to Drive in Heavy Rain
It pays to be cautious, especially when driving in heavy rains. Accidents are aplenty when Mother Nature ravages the roads with heavy downpours so you should take extra precautions. If you want to avoid being next day’s headlines, here are a few reminders you should take into consideration:
Inspect your car’s condition regularly. Check your brakes, tires and engine and make sure they are in perfect condition. Pay extra attention to your wipers. Replace the blades if they are damaged or brittle. Taking care of your car will pay great dividends especially when the wet season comes.
Turn on your headlights. Not only will you see the road clearer, you will also get to help other motorists notice you. Just avoid turning your lights into high beam in case it is raining or if there is fog since it’ll make the road less visible since the light will reflect back at you off the water droplets in the air. If you have fog lights, turn them on too.
Pull over and wait. If the downpour is crazy, you may want to pull over at the side of the road before driving anew. If there’s a car in front of you, let it pave the way for you especially if there’s a flood. Just make sure though that you maintain safe distance. If you’re behind a bus or a truck, you must keep an extra distance. These vehicles have extra-large tires that can cause enough sprays to block your vision totally.
Defog your windows. Pay attention to your windshield since rain will cause it to fog up quickly. Turn on the air condition at all times, as well as both front and rear defrosters.
Listen to the radio for weather updates. Tune in to your favorite radio station to get a low down on flooded streets, oncoming traffic and weather condition.
Pay attention to people. Raindrops usually deaden sounds so maintain safe distance between cars and pedestrians. People are less attentive on the road since there are many distractions so be alert so you won’t get someone hospitalized.
Keep near the center if it’s flooding. The water will be more shallow at that area. You should also avoid large puddles since there’s a possibility that there are deeper potholes under them. The golden rule is to avoid passing through flooded water unless you’re sure how deep it is.
Slow down. You can damage your car by speeding in flood water. When water is sucked into the air intake of the engine for instance, your car may stop working. Instead, drive slowly and continue revving the engine by slipping the clutch to prevent the entry of water into the exhaust.
Do not attempt to drive through heavy rains unless it is absolutely necessary. If you can, just stay home and enjoy some good old coffee and french toast!