Rain
In monsoon season, rain is a common occurrence. It is important for you, as a driver, to be aware of the additional precautionary measures to avoid an accident and make driving hassle free.
Things to Check before Rainy Season
Every year before the start of rainy season, you should do the following checks to ensure that your vehicle is fit for travel in such conditions.
- Wipers: Wipers are used during rain for improving the visibility. It is important for you to check the condition of wipers before the start of rainy season. While using the wipers after a long time, check whether it has become hard and lost the flexibility to maintain a uniform contact with the windshield. Clean the wipers and the glass off any dust and run the wipers while pouring water from the top, to detect any of the common problems as shown below. If any of these happens, you should change the wiper blades.
- Windscreen cleaning liquid: Make sure that there is an adequate amount of windshield solution in the designated tank. Using Hydrophobic fluid will increase the visibility as water trickle off the windshield glass instead of sticking to it. If there are any undesirable marks / dirt on the glass reducing the visibility, this practice helps to clean the windscreen glass while driving. When rain is expected, you should clean all windows before the start of your journey. Local use of clean plain water with a sachet of shampoo also works pretty well, when the fluid mentioned above is not handy.
- Cleaning cloth: Keep a cleaning cloth handy ideally at the front door pocket where you can reach for it without taking your eyes off the road when the windscreen/windows inside requires cleaning due to mist formed on it.
- Tyre treads: The grooves in the tyres are called tyre treads. During rain, you may expect water flow on roads. The treads in tyre help to disperse the water from underneath the tyres and maintain contact with the road surface preventing your vehicle from hydroplaning (skidding). It may also be mentioned that the braking distance depends on the depth of the tyre tread. If the depth of tyre tread is less than 3mm, then you should replace your tyres.
- Lights: Before travelling, you must check to ensure that all lights (headlights, tail lights/brake lights, indicator lights, hazard blinkers) are functioning. Replace the dead bulbs if any. It important that you should be able to see other vehicles and other vehicles should be able to see you.