Guidelines to Drive in Rain

Rain reduces not only your visibility but also the amount of grip your vehicle has on the road, which further increases the stopping distance. The following guidelines will help you to drive safely in rainy conditions.

• Depending on the intensity of the rain, adjust the speed of wipers.
• Under any unfavourable driving conditions, you should slow down your vehicle.
• In wet road conditions, friction between the tires and road surface is reduced. Therefore, as a rule of thumb, in rainy weather reduce your speed by 1/3rd of posted speed to account for change in friction of road surface. If the speed limit is 60kmph, try not to exceed 40kmph when the roads are wet.
• The safe distance between the vehicles is 2 seconds in favourable conditions. However, while driving in the rain, you should maintain a distance of 9 seconds or more from the vehicle ahead.
• During heavy rains, turn on the headlights even in the day time as it helps to improve visibility.
• You should give turning signal well in advance and brake early as you approach a stop.
• In rainy conditions, it becomes crucial to stay more alert while driving. You should avoid any activity which distracts you while driving.
• Unless there is an emergency, you must keep both the hands on the steering wheel, because it gives you more control of the vehicle while turning, recovering from skidding, etc.
• Avoid driving through deep water or moving water. When the road surface is not visible, it becomes difficult for you to notice any potholes. Your vehicle may get stuck in the potholes. Driving at high speeds in water puddle may damage your vehicle, stall out, and cause inconvenience to other road users. If the water is flowing across at high speeds, your vehicle could also be swept away. Try to avoid such roads by changing the route or wait until the conditions are fit for driving.
• Reduce your speed further in case there is water accumulation up to your footboard, as the splash which you see outside is also there inside and may hit the hot engine, causing a seizure. Try to maintain a uniform speed and low gear (preferably, 2nd gear) when passing through a water puddle. Always check your brakes after you paddle through a water-logged area. If you feel that braking is insufficient, press the brake often to create heat by friction and dry the brakes.
• You should use both the Hazard Lights and Fog Lights when visibility is low due to torrential rains. It is better to park your vehicle on the side for some time till the intensity subsides.
• Fogging on windscreen happens when the outside temperature is cooler than inside. In such a case, you should run the AC and direct the air towards the screen by the AC knob. In case there is no AC, open the windows slightly, to equalise the outside and inside temperature and humidity. If it is still foggy, clean the inside windscreen with a cloth.
• You should clean any mud splash on your vehicle either with a windscreen water spray or by stopping your vehicle near a water source and splashing water.