Essential tips for safe driving in rainy conditions
|Published
Tips to keep you safe on the road, in the rain
Image: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers
With severe thunderstorms and disruptive rain scheduled for parts of the country on Thursday and Friday, drivers will not only experience the normal wet and slippery conditions of driving in rain but also need to contend with the lifting of the rubber and oil that collected on the road during winter.
MasterDrive CEO, Eugene Herbert urged motorists to gradually reduce speed, avoid harsh braking, and keep both hands on the steering wheel.
Tips for driving in the rain
- Before leaving, check your wiper blades to ensure that they have not deteriorated over winter.
- Give yourself more travel time so you do not have to rush in bad weather.
- Adjust your speed to suit the conditions, however, do not slow down unnecessarily as this is just as dangerous.
- Do not use cruise control.
- Turn on your headlights.
- Brake earlier and with more caution.
- Avoid water which has pooled on the roads.
- If you cannot avoid this, drive through it slowly in case there is hidden debris or potholes.
- Leave additional following distance.
- Driving recklessly and speeding increases chances of hydroplaning.
- If you hydroplane, slowly lift your foot from the accelerator but do not brake harshly or move your steering wheel violently.
- Consider going for driver training on a skip pan to learn how to react if you do lose control during rainy weather.
IOL