The Met Department has told us the monsoons are almost at our doorsteps – a week prematurely. Now every driver knows that one has to take a great deal of care when it comes dealing with wet conditions on the roads. There are instances of cars skidding, poor visibility, and a whole host of other issues. To prevent trouble on those wet days, we bring you some driving dos and don’ts in the monsoons. Make sure you keep these handy – and take extra caution while being out on the roads.
• Extra oily: Be very careful if it rains after a dry spell. During this time, engine oil and grease build up on the road. The surface of the road, after fresh rainfall, becomes extremely slick. Continued rainfall will eventually wash away the oil, but the first few hours can be the most dangerous. Drive slow.
• Start early: You will need more time to travel because of jams and water logging, etc. Start early in case your route has a traffic jam or is filled up with water. Speeding to make up for lost time is extremely dangerous.
• Mind those brakes: Brake earlier and with less force than you would normally. Not only does this increase the stopping distance between you and the car in front of you, it also lets the driver behind you know that you're slowing down. Also, be more meticulous about using turn signals, so that other drivers know your intentions, and take turns and curves with less speed than you would in dry conditions.
• Don't use cruise control: Cruise control tends to make drivers less vigilant and some could take their foot away from the pedals — not a great idea when reaction time is so important.
• Avoid large puddles: If you see a large puddle up ahead, drive around it or take a different route. Remember, water splashing up into your car's engine compartment could damage its internal electrical systems. Also, a pothole may be hiding under the water, just waiting in ambush to damage a wheel or knock your suspension out of alignment. If you can't gauge the depth, or if it's covering up the side curb, try to avoid it.
• Run away from running water: Don’t try stunts and attempt to cross water running across the road in a torrent. This could mean trouble if the force of the water is greater than the weight of your vehicle. An all-wheel drive isn't going to be much help if your vehicle is being pushed sideways.
• Lights on: Turn on your headlights, even when there's a light sprinkle. It helps you see the road, and, more importantly, it helps other motorists see you. However, don't switch to high beam in the rain or if there’s a mist — it'll obscure your view further, as the light will reflect back at you off the water droplets in the air. If your car is equipped with fog lights, you may find it helpful to turn these on, as these throw a little extra light on the road while making your car easier to see.
• Stay alert: Watch out for pedestrians. An ordinarily observant pedestrian may become distracted by fiddling with an umbrella or a rain slicker. Plus, raindrops deaden sound, so the usual audio clues for measuring car distances become obscured. Keep a sharp lookout for people on the road.
• It’s better to wait: If it's raining so hard that you can't see the road or the car in front of you, pull over and wait.
• Follow your leader: Track the car ahead of you. Let the car ahead pave a clear path, so to speak, through the water.
• Let there be distance: Make sure you maintain extra distance if there is a truck or bus ahead of you. The reason is that their large tyres can create enough spray to block your vision completely. Avoid passing one, but if you must pass, do it as quickly as safety allows.
• Defog: Defog your windows. Rain will quickly cause your windshield to fog up. Switch on both front and rear defrosters and make sure the air-conditioning is turned on.
• Avoid skidding: If you start to hydroplane (Hydroplaning happens when a layer of water builds between the rubber tyres of the vehicle and the road surface, leading to the loss of traction and thus preventing the vehicle from responding to control inputs such as steering, braking or accelerating) don't brake suddenly or turn the wheel, or you might spin into a skid. Release the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until the car regains traction. If you must brake, tap the brake pedal.
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