Some bad driving habits may not cause problems when the road is dry, but they are so deeply ingrained in some drivers that they are very difficult to break when Mother Nature shows her might with a pouring rain. Next, in we are going to detail the 5 driving mistakes in the rain that you should avoid in order to drive your car safely and be protected against any weather condition.
Don’t drive to the sides of the road
Roads are built to be higher in the center. The difference may be slight, but it causes water to run off and drain towards the edges. If you are driving in the rain and want to avoid standing water, it means that you must be where there is no water, that is, in the center of the road. The center may not be very dry, especially if it continues to rain, but it will be the driest place of all.
Don’t turn off the lights
Headlights help us see what’s in front of us, kind of like a pair of big flashlights that don’t need a battery replacement every time the power goes out. Actually, when it’s raining you need your headlights even during the day so that other people can see you.
You should also avoid dazzling with high beams. Remember that on the track you are not the only driver trying to find his way.
Don’t drive if you can’t see
Well, this seems like a no-brainer, but isn’t it amazing that so many people don’t use their brains?
It doesn’t matter if you know the road so well that you could drive blindfolded, you should not drive while there is too much water on the windshield. If you don’t look ahead, you don’t know what’s out there. When visibility is low, pull off the road as soon as possible and wait.
your car is not a boat
If you see water flowing across the road from one side to the other and you don’t know how deep the “river” is, don’t try to cross it. Every year, unlucky drivers understand that their car won’t be harmed by a puddle of water but they find that it was deeper than expected. They then find themselves dragged and desperately looking for a tree branch to grab on to escape through the window.
Slow down to avoid “aquaplaning”
Speed limits exist to tell you how safe it is to drive in good conditions. When conditions are bad and roads are wet, speed limits are worthless. Drive well below them – and the worse the conditions, the slower you must drive.
The worst danger of driving too fast in the rain is aquaplaning. It’s what happens when the car thinks it’s a ship while it’s still on the road. Tires can usually cut through the water in front of them and stay in contact with the road surface. But when the road is wet and you are going too fast, your car can start to float on the surface of the water and the tire tread loses contact with the road surface. This is bad.
When the tread loses contact with the road surface, it can no longer steer. It can no longer be stopped. This is what happens with aquaplaning.
What if you can’t avoid it? Don’t hit the brakes because that only makes things worse. Ease off the throttle so any remaining traction can slow you down. And keep going straight. Don’t try to turn. If the car is veering in a direction you don’t want to go, don’t fight it, just follow your wheels. And when the car brakes suddenly (almost magically), it will return control.
