Driving on the wet pavement can be dangerous if you don’t keep up with the safe driving practices. Here’re a few tips you need to know to reach your destination safely while driving on the wet roads.
When it rains, it means flowers, rainbows and that beautiful muddy fragrance. Honestly, there’s a lot more on the flip side that’s often overlooked. There are over 1.2 million traffic crashes every year just due to the wet pavement. Nobody wants to experience such things many of you aren’t very much serious about following the driving rules.
Keep in mind! Safety starts with you. You need to see and be seen. Replace the windshield wipers if the old one isn’t working properly. Also make sure that all the lights like headlights, taillights, brake lights and signal are functioning. Here’re a few useful wet driving tips that will help you be safe while driving on the wet pavements so let’s dive in;
Check Your Tires
Before hitting the road, make sure you check every single car tyre including the spare one. Here’re a few important routine maintenances you need to know;
- The car tires should be inflated properly. You must know the correct air pressure for your car tires that are normally specified by the vehicle manufacturer. You can find it on the vehicle door edge, fuel door and the owner’s manual.
- Be mindful! The number that you see on the sidewall of your tires isn’t the recommended one but the maximum air pressure for the tires. Check the tires’ pressure at least once every month.
- Last but not least, Check the tire’s tread depth. Proper tread will help prevent skids & aquaplaning.
Avoid Cruise Control
Cruise control is the feature that’s really common in modern cars. Although it works really great in the dry condition, you can take any chances by using it in the wet weather condition as it increases the risk of losing control. To keep up with enough traction, you’ll need to reduce the car’s speed by lifting off the accelerator. And, you can’t do this when the cruise control is active.
For sure, it’s important to focus on every aspect of the driving while you’re on the wet pavement. So by avoiding the cruise control, you have more options to choose from in order to respond to the potential loss of traction thereby maximizing the safety.
Avoid Aquaplaning
Aquaplaning is when the layer of water comes in between and road pavement and tire point of contact. Due to which, the vehicle loses traction. In that case, our car can be completely out of contact with the road, and the driver is in danger of skidding or perhaps drifting out of the lane/road. To avoid the aquaplaning, it’s important to your tires properly inflated, slow down when roads are wet and don’t drive from puddles.
In case you find your car aquaplaning, don’t apply the brake or turn immediately as it can throw your car into a skid. Just pull your foot off the accelerator and let the car slows so that you get the traction back. When you start gaining the traction & control, gently apply the brake. If your car has Anti-Lock Braking System, then brake normally.
Summary
Do you want to learn more about some wet driving tips? Just check out the article now
