Driving In The Wet, Tips To Avoid An Accident

Wet driving

Rain is the weather phenomenon that causes the most road accidents. Driving in the wet is a pending issue for most drivers, and with a few basic notions, the accident rate would decrease.

The most critical moment on a rainy day for tire grip is when the first drops of water fall. At that time the road is still dirty, with particles of dust and sand, oil or other substances that form a slippery film.

The most important components for safe wet driving are the tires. The condition of the tires on your car will be decisive in their reactions; It does not matter what car you have, because if the tire tread is less than 1.6 millimeters, the vehicle will suffer to maintain sufficient grip.

Next we are going to see a series of tips to minimize the risk of an accident when we enter the road in the rain.

1º Increase the safety distance

Under normal conditions, with dry asphalt, the 50 meters that we must leave with the car in front of us are enough to make an emergency braking without colliding with it. However,  on wet asphalt this is not the case, the braking distance increases considerably and visibility decreases.

We must double the safety distance, not only because of the braking distance, but also to avoid the ‘spray effect’ that lifts the car in front and that prevents a clear view of the movements or the brake lights of the car in front.

When we overtake another car, either on the highway or on the national highway, we must be aware that if we return to the lane shortly after passing it, we will reduce its visibility with the water raised by our vehicle.

2nd Reduce speed

If your average speed is slightly lower than the one you have in good conditions, you significantly reduce the chances of suffering the dreaded hydroplaning : an  effect produced when the tires are not able to evacuate the water that is on the road, which causes the buoyancy of the eraser.

This dangerous phenomenon is accentuated by a poorly marked wheel tread, so the deeper the tread, the more water they can evacuate. If we choose to equip our car with winter tires or special rain tires, we minimize the chances of suffering it.

3rd turn on the lights

Keeping the low beams on is essential to guarantee visibility on rainy days, especially on fast roads, where the car raises more water and the one following us barely sees our movements.

If the rain is heavy you should turn on the rear fog lights when you are out of town. This will help locate your vehicle before the low beams.

4th Avoid stepping on the white paint on the road

Zebra crossings, yield signs, direction arrows… There are many horizontal signs on our roads. They are essential but dangerous if we brake on them, let alone if you are driving a motorcycle. In the water they become much more slippery than asphalt and can make the car skid, especially if you brake on them.

5th Drive more smoothly and avoid sudden movements

As with any other driving in bad weather conditions, driving in the wet requires special gentleness when handling the steering, brake or accelerator.

If we make a sudden movement with the steering wheel with the slippery asphalt it  is possible that the car skid and you lose control. To avoid this, try to take the curves with movements as gradual as possible and, if you maintain a safe distance, you will be able to anticipate movements better.

The most important thing is common sense, pay maximum attention to driving, check the tires to ensure they are in good condition and follow the advice we have given you. If we do so, the probability of having an accident will decrease considerably.