Wet weather is upon us, and driving in the rain is more involving than you think, but you shouldn't find it daunting. With enough knowledge and things to take into account when driving in wet weather, you can travel safely and avoid risky situations with just a few tips.
Related: Wet Weather Driving – Top Survival Tips
Let's establish the basics of wet weather driving and what you need to look out for to assess what your actions will be.
Make sure your car is maintained
You need to make sure your car is roadworthy to reduce the risk of incidents in the rain. Your tyres must be in good condition and above the minimum treadwear markers. More on understanding your tyres here. Next up, make sure your windshield wipers are in good nick as well. Windshield coatings do help significantly to sheet water off your windows to allow for better visibility. Your vehicle's lights need to be working 100%, so you're visible on the road, which also helps with your own visibility. This includes foglights as well. Other maintenance would consist of regular servicing and ensuring vehicle electricals are functional and well protected from water, as these can be particularly finicky on some vehicles when water is brought into the picture.
Rain driving
If you're dealing with an average to heavy showers, you need to be mindful of the road conditions on your route. Adjust your speed and following distance accordingly in wet weather. Lower speed is better in wet weather due to reduced traction. One of the biggest risks in wet weather driving is aquaplaning. Simply put, aquaplaning happens on wet roads, and the amount of water on the road exceeds what a tyre can dissipate. If you notice your vehicle starting to aquaplane, don't make sudden reactions, slowly lift off the accelerator, don't brake harshly and suddenly, and don't jolt at the steering wheel. Smooth and subtle movements are best in wet weather. If it's safer to pull over and wait until a storm passes, it's for the better rather, so pull over in a safe place and wait out the storm.
After the dry season, our roads are significantly contaminated, most notably oil. When the wet season begins, much of those contaminants are washed up and run off the road, which makes the surface extremely slippery. The above-mentioned is particularly important during this time.
Dealing with pools of water and floods
Pools of water and floods are very deceiving. It doesn't matter what you drive, be it a small hatchback or bundu bashing 4x4; it's very easy for water to take any car out. If you're out on the road and you see river water with a significant amount of current, rather avoid driving through it because it takes less than 15cm of water to lift a car and the last thing you need to get washed away. Rather, take a different route or pull over in a safe place until the storm passes. If you find yourself in a situation where you get caught in a pool of water, and you stall, but you're not in danger of being swept away, instead leave the car off and don't start it again as water may have got into the engine and can cause damage if you start it again. If you are in danger of being swept away, leave the vehicle if you can do so safely.
Not only this, even if a pool of water may be small, you don't know the depth of the pool. It could be a shallow puddle or a dastardly pothole lurking beneath. It's best to drive around such pools of water or avoid them entirely. Don't drive fast over pools of water as well, as you run the risk of aquaplaning. It's better to drive in the middle of the road as opposed to the sides, as roads tend to be higher in the middle, minimising your chances of driving into puddles and hitting a kerb. If you drive into a large pool of water, it's wise to test your brakes afterwards by applying them to ensure they work effectively.
