Driving in the rain can be a scary and hazardous time on the road; not-at-fault accidents can occur quickly from sliding and aqua plaining, and the lack of vision can provide tricky conditions to drive safely. To avoid accidents, injury and harm to others on the road, we have complied our wet weather safety tips, sharing simple yet effective ways to prevent not-at-fault accidents and helping you get to your destination safely.
Confident drivers first
Driving in the rain is exceptionally challenging, and it requires the best driving skills of any driver, no matter how much experience they have. While younger and inexperienced drivers need to get used to driving in rainy conditions, it’s essential the driver feels confident enough on the road. If someone else is available to drive, allow this person to control the vehicle instead.
Check your car mirrors and wipers
In wet weather conditions, drivers rely highly on their mirrors, both rear vision and side mirrors. Before taking to the slippery roads, your car needs properly working mirrors; these need positioning best for your head height and eye line, ensuring you feel comfortable with your vision from the driver’s seat. No matter what level of rain you experience, damaged wipers aren’t ideal when battling the water run-off. Regularly testing your wipers should help you to avoid emergency repairs in poor weather.
Avoid cruise control
Though some may argue cruise control is essential in wet weather to limit looking down at the dashboard, others would say the sustained speed isn’t appropriate when the speed variants fluctuate so often. Ideally, in wet weather driving, you need full use of your speed control, as breaking can occur quickly and drivers can launch between lanes unexpectedly.
Take extra space around other drivers
It’s imperative to realise you’re not the only car that’s slipping, sliding and managing the wet roads. In the same way, you need some extra space while it’s raining, so give yourself additional space from the cars in front and around you. It’s on wet weather days when not-at-fault accidents are more likely to happen, so adding space around you will work to avoid this happening to you.
Keep your lights on
The low light from the reduced conditions will prove tricky to navigate through without your lights on. Keeping them set to a low light will help show up the road markers and lines better, without blinding the cars coming from the other direction.