Oct 10, 2019
It’s safe to say that it’s no longer summer, and we can expect to experience more of this unpredictable weather from now on.
Driving in heavy rain can be a scary thing, we have all heard or maybe even seen incidents of people aquaplaning in the middle of the motorway or stranded in a puddle in the middle of the street.
With the recent weather inspiring this blog, here at MyCarNeedsA.com, we decided that it was time to release our top five tips for driving in wet conditions…
If you are speeding or going to fast in wet weather then you are just putting yourself and others in danger. Even though it seems like common knowledge, a lot of people still don’t slow down when it’s wet.
By slowing down your speed, not only are you being a safe driver, but you are also allowing your car to pass through puddles smoothy and avoid soaking pedestrians, avoid aquaplaning (water build-up under your tyres) meaning you are gaining maximum control over your car in these wet conditions.
By slowing down your speed while driving in the rain you also decrease your stopping distance:
When it is raining, it is advised, by the Highway Code to leave from two meters between you and the car in front to four meters (four seconds). This gives you a sufficient amount of time to react and stop.
TIP:
Be more aware when travelling behind lorries or trucks because they can spray water from their tyres onto your windscreen and could impair your visibility.
Driving through puddles may seem like fun, but it can actually cause serious damage to your car and could result in you in flooding the engine (and an expensive repair bill).
1. Determine the size of the puddle and locate its deepest point
2. If the puddle is too deep for your car or you can’t see where it ends, then you need to find another way- the last thing you want to do is try and drive through this puddle and get stuck halfway through it!
3. Identify the safest path for you to drive through
- Look out for anything that could cause your car damage e.g. to the tyres and AVOID them.
4. Once you have picked your path you will need to keep your car in a low gear and the engine revved up
- By doing this it allows you to maintain movement once you begin to travel through the puddle
5. Once you have made it through the other side, drive slowly with your foot on the brakes for a short period of time to get the moisture off them.
If your tyres are underinflated it will cause them to have less grip on the roads and will result in you having less control when driving your car and worst-case scenario, you will find yourself skidding or aquaplaning and trying to control that will be more difficult.
By having your tyres above the legal limit means that they will perform better in the rain because they will be able to grip the road.
You will need to check that your wiper blades are fully functional and are getting rid of any dirt or water effectively.
If your wiper blades are damaged and they don’t do as good of a job (impairing your vision) then you will need to replace them. To determine whether or not you need to replace your wiper blades is to see if they clear your windscreen in one swipe. If they fail to do this, are skipping and jumping on your windscreen or are making a high-pitched noise, then it’s time you replace them.
Here at MyCarNeedsA.com we care about your safety and don’t want you to avoid repair bills because of how expensive they are.
If you head over to our main page and click on ‘get quotes’ you’ll find out that we find the cheapest deals from qualified trusted mechanics in your local area.
If you need a car service or you noticed that your car just doesn't seem like themselves, get a quote from us today!
