Now that the weather is getting colder and winter is coming, it’s time to think about driving in these kind of slushy, wet conditions. It’s important to change your style of driving, and make sure your car is prepared for the weather conditions. If not, this could have terrible consequences for your safety, and could potentially damage your car as well.
Do You Need to Drive?
In severe conditions such as torrential rain and flooding, assess whether it is essential that you drive or not. If you can go later when the conditions have subsided, this would be advisable. If you are driving in floods or large bodies of water, assess the body of water you are about to drive through. How deep is it and are there any obstacles in the water? Getting out and having a look could save you a lot of time and trouble. If it is too deep, your car will float because the doors in modern cars are airtight when closed. If you don’t need to make the journey and the conditions are potentially dangerous, don’t go.
Windscreen Wipers
Each time you leave the house make sure you check that they still work well, and as they are supposed to. If you have an older car with “aero” wipers, you might want to get these replaced to, to keep your car up to date on the products that are the safest and most efficient for your car to use.
Your Driving Style
It’s best to drive carefully rainy weather because of visibility, and other reasons too. Don’t drive fast through puddles as this can cause your tires to lose contact with the road.The stopping distance doubles in rain, so it will take you twice as fast to come to a standstill as it usually would. Don’t use your rear fog lights, as this can stop drivers behind you seeing your brake lights, and could cause collisions. Keep your air conditioning on to avoid condensation and mist in the car, so your visibility is the best it can be.
Visibility
As well as lights, this can also mean your windshield too. Any marks or cracks will increase in colder weather and make it much more difficult to see. It also has the potential to crack and even shatter if problems are not seen to early on. Get it replaced with companies like Glass.net, they stock many models and so should have the one for you.
Keeping Your Tank Full
This might seem like obvious advice, but it;s a good habit to check your fuel tank each time you leave the house. In wet and colder weather getting stranded can be a lot more serious. Collisions and accidents happen more frequently on busy roads, and so this means you will probably get held up a lot more.
Rainy conditions are some of the most difficult and dangerous to drive. Be alert and aware and take the time to ensure you and others are safe. Keeping your car up to scratch and functioning as it should, is the best way to tackle these conditions.
