Update - The article largely has been sourced from Goa On Wheels's article on driving safely during rains.
Everyone enjoys driving their cars and riding their bikes, but when it comes to driving in the rains, it is a whole different ball game altogether. One needs to be very careful while driving or riding in the wet and no matter how good a driver or a rider is, the rain can change all that in an instant.
It is always a good practice to be well prepared and take it slow and steady while driving or riding in the wet.
First and foremost, avoid driving or riding when its raining heavily. It is a good idea to plan a trip and leave early so that there isn't a requirement for one to rush or hurry up, resulting in an accident in the wet.
Listed below are some of the other tips which one must keep in mind before the rains set in and while driving or riding in the wet:
* The wiper blades have to be checked in order to ensure that they are in good shape, if not then replace them.
* The tyres must have an adequate amount of tread depth left in them in order to dissipate water from the road surface and to be able to provide the vehicle grip in the wet.
* One must always drive slowly as the stopping distance of a vehicle increases drastically in the wet.
* One must avoid driving or riding at the edges of the road surface, as that is where all the rain water accumulates and becomes stagnant.
* One must maintain an increased distance to the vehicle in front, in order to avoid colliding with the vehicle in front in case it stops suddenly.
* Never pursue large vehicles such as trucks and buses too closely, as the water spray produced by them obscures one's vision of the road ahead.
* Drive or Ride smoothly in the rain without sudden acceleration and braking.
* Turn on the headlights of your vehicle in order to increase your visibility and enable other road users to spot you on the road.
* Avoid driving through moving water which does not offer a view of the ground beneath it.It may cause damage to your vehicle or could cause you to get stuck or have an accident.
* When driving through puddles, keep your speed as low as possible, since you will not be knowing the depth of the puddle and what lies within it.
* Turn on the defogger and the air-con in order to remove fog and mist formed on the windshields and side windows due to the rain.
* After driving through the wet, dry out your vehicle's brakes by pumping the brake pedal repeatedly in order to generate heat and remove water and moisture from the vehicle's braking system.
* Watch out for pedestrians on the road and avoid splashing water on them by driving very carefully through water accumulated on the road surface.
* Never use the cruise control system of a vehicle while driving the wet. It can affect the control you have over the vehicle in the wet.
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