How to drive in rainy season? Is a question that troubles many drivers across the world. Call it anxiety, fear or inexperience but it is crucial to learn how to properly drive in rainy season to avoid potential accidents.
In India, though the arrival of the monsoon brings relief from the unbearable summers, it also increases risks of potential water logging and severe traffic jams.
Driving in the rainy season could be challenging and also life threatening due to bad visibility, lack of traction between the road and tyres, potholes, and risk of engine seizing due to waterlogging.
In order to protect yourselves this monsoon, we have prepared a list of things that you must ensure for your safety as well as your family.
Check your Brakes
When you apply brakes on a wet and slippery road, the braking or stopping distance increases due to the lack of friction between the tyres and the road, thus resulting in loss of traction and cause the vehicle to skid on the road. Ensuring an optimum level of brake fluid in your vehicle and also checking if the brake pads and brake discs are in proper condition, could improve braking drastically.
Check your Wiper Blades
Although they serve no purpose during other seasons, but in the monsoons, Windshield Wipers are your saviour. Providing better visibility by wiping away water from your windshields is their only purpose. In order to ensure the proper functioning of your wipers, it is important to regularly check and replace (if required) your wiper blades. If the blade is leaving streaks on the windshield or is making noises during operation, it is best to replace them with newer ones. It is recommended to replace wiper blades every nine to twelve months.
Inspect your Tyre’s Tread Depth
Tyres are designed with treads that ensure proper friction between the wet roads and tyres. It results in better traction and also the gripping improves. As a vehicle gets older, its tyres also lose their strength, Therefore, it is prescribed that you must check the tyre’s tread depth to understand whether they should be replaced or not. Also, keep the tyre’s air pressure at ideal levels as it would help improve grip and prevent the vehicle from skidding.
Avoid Driving over Potholes
While you can make out how deep a pothole is during other seasons, it is difficult to assess in the rainy season as they get filled up with rainwater. Driving through bad potholes could result in damage to your vehicle as well as to you. Therefore, it is better to avoid driving over potholes.
Avoid taking Newer / Unknown Routes
Always plan your journey beforehand, and also avoid taking routes that you are unfamiliar with as in case of vehicle breakdown, you would be left stranded in an area that is totally new to you. If and only If you are compelled to drive through a waterlogged area, always try asking the locals living there if the road is in bad condition or is it safe to drive through it or not.
Avoid Riding Motorcycles over Waterlogged Roads
As roads are likely to get filled with rainwater during monsoons, it is recommended to avoid riding a motorcycle as you would risk yours as well as your pillion’s life. As the potholes get covered with rain water, chances of riding into a pothole shoot up due to poor visibility. Falling into a pothole could result in severe injury and also could be fatal.
Ensure the Proper Functioning of the Lights
A faulty or broken light, be it your headlight, tail light, or even fog lamps, could increase your chances of getting into an accident. A damaged headlight causes poor visibility and your chances of colliding with an object increases. Also, a damaged tail light could result in getting rear-ended by a vehicle behind you, as they would have no idea when should they brake.
Protect your Car’s Underbody
If your vehicle is older than four or five years, it would be the right time to get its underbody sprayed with Anti-Rust Coating. However the number could decrease to two or three years if the vehicle is driven in a coastal region. Rusting occurs when the iron based metal parts in vehicles comes in contact with oxygen in the presence of moisture in the air. The rusting process accelerates during monsoons and also in coastal areas. As the name suggests, Anti-Rust Coating is done to prevent the vehicle’s body from rusting.
Examine the Vehicle’s Battery
Chances of a short circuit and potential battery death increase in monsoons as water could seep into wires causing a short. Check for any loose or worn out wires and ensure proper covering is there on the terminals of the battery. Furthermore, clean the terminals at regular intervals as carbon accumulates on both terminals. Also to protect the battery’s terminal from corroding due to rust, it is advised to apply anti-corrosive grease to the terminals.
Although following the points in this guide would prove useful to you, it is also advised to bring a few changes to your personal driving habits such as
- Drive Slowly
- Maintain Proper Gap between Vehicles
- Don’t Text while Driving
- Anticipate Vehicular Movements
Following the above points will answer your question of “How to drive in rainy season”. Enjoy the Rain while it lasts.
Going on a Road Trip? Have a Safe Journey by following these points.