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1. Keeping too little distance
It doesn’t even need to rain: a damp road is enough and the braking distance is longer because the tires have less grip and you start to slip. At 100 km/h, a car needs an average of 48 meters to stop, which is 12 meters longer than on dry asphalt. In urban areas, however, the braking distance is noticeably longer, even when driving at just 50 km/h. Also visibility is limited and we can see obstacles or brake lights later on. For this reason, you should always leave more distance to the vehicle in front.
Fly: The rule of thumb in rainy weather is to leave twice as much distance as when the road is dry. Depending on the method, this means four seconds instead of just two seconds, or a whole instead of half the speedometer in meters. At a speed of 80 this corresponds to a distance of 40 meters.
2. Old wiper blades
Visibility in the rain is severely limited. Especially in traffic, the rain curtain intensifies as it sprays from the vehicle in front. It’s darker for that. A good windshield wiper that provides clear vision is much more important. Therefore, check the wiper blades regularly, preferably in the spring and autumn. Tires should be changed once a year. As soon as streaks form on the disc, it’s time for a change.
Fly: Don’t forget the rear wiper. In the rain, you should have a clear view of the rear in the interior mirror because you can’t see anything in the sprayed exterior mirrors.
3. No tail light
Modern lighting technology in cars has its pitfalls (click here for the lighting guide). For example, on many models, the taillights do not turn on when the daytime running lights are activated. The tail lights only come on when we switch to low beam. That’s why it’s important that we change gear manually in the rain so that the vehicles behind can see us better. However, we see more with the more powerful dipped beam.
Fly: Even those with a newer car with automatic headlights should check the light settings when it rains. Some systems do not perceive rainy weather as dark and do not switch to low beam. But often, the automatic lighting system in modern cars is combined with windshield wipers and automatically switches to dipped beam as soon as the windshield wipers are activated.
4. Fogged windows
In the rain, windows can fog up more quickly, especially when entering a tunnel. Because the temperature in the tunnel is higher than outside, rainwater condenses on the glass, forming dew. In this case, immediately start the windshield wipers and do not wait for the automatic system, because it does not always detect it. If the inside of the glass fogs up, wipe the field of view with your hand or a lamp and turn on the air conditioner. Not only does it clean the glass, it also makes the air drier, which reduces the chance of the windows fogging up.
Fly: Clean windows regularly – including the inside. Dirty windows fog up faster.
5. aquaplaning
One of the biggest dangers in the rain and on wet roads is aquaplaning. The connection between the tires and the road is interrupted by the water film. This happens suddenly and is reflected in the fact that the steering becomes light and the car does not respond to steering commands. Then don’t turn the steering wheel too hard as this increases the risk of skidding as soon as the tires come back into contact with the road. Also, you should not brake suddenly. Instead, keep the steering wheel straight, release the throttle slowly (!) and reduce the speed slowly. On vehicles with manual transmission, depress the clutch.
Fly: Offset the slides. Water collects rapidly in these depressions, increasing the risk of aquaplaning.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
