15 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW IF YOU MUST DRIVE IN THE RAIN

Bisi Adewale

Driving in the rain is one of the driving categories tagged “Hazard Driving”, this is because most accidents have occurred involving cars in the rain; that is why it is important to learn some of the basic tips for driving safely in the rain.
Driving under the rain is cool if you know what to do and what not to do. So we need to learn about it here before you hit the road when it drizzles.

You’ll find some of them below.

1. MAKE SURE YOUR WATER WIPER IS WORKING: You must make sure your Car Water Wiper is one of the thing you check every morning before you drive out of your house, make sure it’s in order or repair it quickly. It won’t be funny to discover that your wiper is faulty on a night it rains heavily.

2. USE DEFROSTER: The windscreen tends to form a fog when it rains because of the cold.
Wiper alone may not be enough to do the Job, because of the fog the cold from the rain can generate, so, use your defroster to remove this. Check your Car owners Manual to know how best to use this. if there’s none in your car, the AC is a good option. If you have none of these, park somewhere and wipe them

3. MAKE SURE YOUR HEAD LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON
When it rains (heavily), it’s pretty difficult to see clearly, this is why you must ensure that your head lights are turned on as you drive. This will enable you see ahead more clearly. It will also allow the on coming cars to see you early and clearly.
4. FIX YOUR TAIL LIGHTS
Fix your tail light because it is also important for the person driving behind you; so they see your tail lights and avoid hitting you from the back

5. BEWARE OF COVERED POT HOLES
Rain water can fill gutters and pot holes which people may run into, so drive cautiously.

6. CONCENTRATE ON YOUR DRIVING
Do not receive calls, don’t talk to the person sitting beside you, do not eat; just concentrate on your driving because your total focus is needful at this time.

7. KEEP BOTH HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL
Whether or not you’re used to driving with one hand on the steering wheel, when you drive under the rain, make sure you have both hands on the steering wheel to have a better grip of the vehicle.

8. BEWARE OF SLIPPERY ROAD
The roads are usually very slippery during the rains, so be cautious of this and drive carefully.

9. NEVER MAKE CALLS OR RECEIVE CALLS: Avoid using your phones while you drive as well, no calling, no texting, in fact, don’t use hands-free, it will even be advisable to switch off the phone at this hour as that will help you to concentrate properly.

10. KEEP A REASONABLE DISTANCE FROM THE CAR AHEAD OF YOU
Observe the general rule off driving,”don’t kiss”, “Dong hug.” As you drive, don’t go too close to the car ahead of you because you never can tell what they might do at any given time. They may decide to apply their brakes suddenly, and that may be dangerous for you if you’re too close to them. It’s advised to keep a distance of about a second from the vehicle ahead.

11. TRY NOT TO OVER-SPEED
Drive below speed limit at this time, it’s better to drive slowly, to enable you have better control of your vehicle as the road may be slippery and wet.

12. IN CASE OF HYDROPLANING: hydroplaning is the loss of steering or braking control when a layer of water prevents direct contact between tires and the road.
Stop pedalling, and try to steer yourself in the direction you should go. Do not make any sudden turn, as that may be disastrous.

13. AVOID FLOODED ROUTES (ROADS)
Avoid Flooded roads they are bad and unpredictable. It can lead to accident and injury. Your vehicle can get damaged in a flooded road or worse still, you can lose control of your car in a flooded area. So avoid such roads as much as you can.

14. MIND THE BRAKES
Don’t put your hope on your braking system when it rains, wet drum type brakes tend to perform poorly when used in deep waters. Slippery and wet road can also make your brake to be ineffective.

15. PARK FOR SOMETIME IF RAIN BECOMES TOO HEAVY: It will be advisable to park in a safe place and wait for some time when rain becomes too heavy, affecting visibility, causing slippery and dangerous roads. Arriving late is better at times if its beyond your control than never arriving at all.

15 THINGS YOU MUST KNOW IF YOU MUST DRIVE IN THE RAIN