Driving in Wet Weather!

                                                                                         

Sydney recently experienced a pretty massive downpour, with heavy rains and flash flooding that caused havoc right across the city. Driving at the time was scary to say the least, even for experienced drivers, with gutters overflowing with stormwater and water gushing across the road. Which prompted me to think, aside from pulling over to the side of the road, what exactly is the best way to drive in really heavy rain?

The road will be slippery and braking will be hindered in all kinds of wet weather conditions. These are some safe driving practices to follow when the weather is wild and woolly:

•If it’s raining so hard that you cannot see the car in front of you, pull over and wait out the storm.

•Drive with caution, especially after a long spell of dry weather – engine oil and grease can build up on the road over this time, then when mixed with new rain will make the road slippery.

•Slow down, and allow extra time to get to your destination – you should be driving slower, as should other drivers on the road so your travel time will probably be longer than initially planned.

•Brake earlier and with less force than you would normally – this reduces the risk of skidding on wet roads, and increased the stopping distance between your car and the car in front. It also shows the driver behind you that you intend to stop.

•Drive with your headlights on – even when the rain may only be light, headlights (but not high-beam) will help you see the road, and as importantly let other motorists see you.

•Keep the demister running on both the front and rear windows.

•The road puddle: through it or around it? – If you see a puddle in the road, drive around it or try a different route, particularly if you’re not familiar with the road or the conditions. Most roads in Australia are crowned in the middle so that the water drains to the roadside, so wherever possible try to stick to the middle of the road.

•If the puddle is not too deep, wait for the car in front to get to the other side and then drive through slowly with your foot gently on the accelerator without excessive force – you don’t want to power through, just gently coast. Once on the other side, tap your brake pedal lightly to dry off some of the water from the brake pads.

•If you do happen to start to slide across a puddle (hydroplane) try to stay calm and don’t brake suddenly or turn the wheel. Try to steer straight and slowly take your foot off the accelerator until the tyres regain traction. For cars without anti-lock brakes just tap the brake peddle so you don’t skid.

•Watch for pedestrians – your vision will be impaired by the rain, and pedestrians’ hearing will also be affected, so slow down in heavily populated areas to avoid an accident.

About the author:
Car Guru writes for DriveAway Holidays, http://www.driveaway.com.au, DriveAway Holidays New Zealand, http://www.driveaway.co.nz, and the DriveAway Holidays Blog - http://driveaway2008.blogspot.com/.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com