It is the season of the El Nino and motorists and drivers can expect a heavy rainfall. Rainfall is dangerous while driving if the proper precautions are not maintained. This article talks about some of the steps you can take to ensure that you are safe and do not get into an accident.
Why rain is a danger?
It might be easy to ignore a common occurrence such as rain to be ordinary and not dangerous, but that is not the case.
The United States Federal Administration has pointed out that nearly half the vehicular accidents that take place that are attributed to the weather are because of rain. Only around seventeen percent of accidents take place when there is snow or sleet. This can be attributed to the fact that in those conditions, motorists tend to avoid roads altogether.
Floods and the dangers related to them
Floods can rise slowly or quickly depending on conditions and both cause them to catch the drivers off guard. Floods of even two feet can cause the motor vehicle to float, even a substantially large one. This can create a very dangerous situation and drivers need to be more careful to ensure that they are safe.
Some tips while driving in the rain
- Check Tire Treads: While driving ensure that your tires have treads. If not, replace them promptly
- Tire Pressure: Ensure that tires are properly inflated and not over or under inflated. Do this regularly once a month.
- Windshield Wipers: Wipers wipe the droplets of rain off the windshield and need to be functional so that the driver has visibility at all times.
- Lights: Make sure that all the vehicle lights and signals are properly working.
- Distance from Car Ahead: Rain causes the vehicles to skid, in such situations it is advisable to maintain a sufficient distance from the vehicle directly in front of you.
In addition to all this, try to avoid driving during a heavy storm and going through puddles. Especially if you do not know how deep a puddle is.
Going through a puddle can cause the vehicle to hydroplane, that is skid uncontrollably and maybe flip over. Puddles at low speeds might seem manageable but at high speeds, hydroplaning becomes extremely dangerous and is certainly going to lead to either a huge accident, or even a loss of life.
If you feel like you are hydroplaning, immediately stop accelerating and gently apply the brakes. That should help stop the hydroplaning.
In case of an accident
Accidents can happen, either due to a freak occurrence or even negligence on someone else’s part. You can never be certain about things. If you or a loved one has been in an accident then the advisable thing to do would be to get car accident attorney. An idea about car accident lawyers fees can be obtained from several websites.
Hiring an attorney will tell you what you need to do, if you are unsure about the damage to the vehicle or the expensive medical bills. Rain can be very dangerous, so make sure that you take all the precautions so you never have to worry about an accident due to the bad weather.