PSA: Safety first specially during rains
Since its somewhat raining in (parts of) karachi, i thought it would be a good idea for us to review the basic safety techniques while driving our cars in the rain. These are taken from South Africa’s Road Safety Website, ArriveAlive, whose name puts in a nutshell why we should even consider road safety. So without further ado..
General Tips :
- Use the two- second rule to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you.
- If it is raining and the roads are wet, slow down. Take your foot
off the accelerator and let your speed drop gradually. Never use the
brakes suddenly because this may cause the car to skid. - If you find that an oncoming vehicle is overtaking from the
opposite direction and will not be likely to do it safely, slow down
and be prepared to move to the left shoulder if necessary. - Beware of oil patches. Don’t panic. Do not jam on your brakes, just steer through. In most cases, the patches will be small.
- Always change to a lower gear before you take a bend, especially a
sharp bend. Your speed should be at its slowest as you enter the bend
and both your hands should be on the steering wheel. This slow in/fast
out technique gives you most control when driving around a bend. - Increase your space cushion by doubling your normal following distance from two seconds to four seconds.
- Turn on your headlights.
- Be careful of other vehicles to the rear and in blind spot areas as
they are especially difficult to see through rain-spattered windows. - Use your low-beam headlights to see and be seen. Wait a short time
after the rain begins before using your windshield wipers because the
blades may smear. - Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins.
Grime and oil on the road surface mix with water to make the road
slippery.
Mansoor man thanks a lot for that! Keep the posts coming!
I can see a lot of wet weather tires already installed in Civics and Corollas, even in Cultus’. I bet these guys don’t even know these different looking grooves are for wet weather :)
someone forgot to mention to remain in low gear in deep-ish water and not change gears, as leaving the clutch suddenly can cause the exhasut to suck in water and choke the car.
zain: wet weather tires?? we have them???? now its my turn 2 be surprised :D thanks for the headsup! i think i’ll ask for them when im out 2 change the tires on my car… they’re way past their due date :S
anathema: good point!
http://www.yokohama.ca/staticpages/index.php?page=avs_es100
Such “Y” type of tread are normally for wet weather. You can find medium tires for both conditions easily…
There is only a slight diff between a pure wet weather and dry so be careful. Do your research before you buy.. Pure wets will wear out within no time on dry roads.
After memorizing all the rules for driving in wet conditions I need to work harder on getting a car so I can put freshly memorized rules to work.
zain: thanks for the headsup!
anwar: LoL!!!!!!