Recommendations for driving in the rain

Regardless of our driving experience, we tend to get nervous when we notice that it is starting to rain, visibility decreases and the car loses grip on the road. Here we offer you a few simple tips to help us keep calm on those rainy days.

Avoid using Cruise Control

Nowadays most of the vehicles in the market come equipped with cruise control that allows the driver to select a driving speed without having to use the accelerator. This function works well in normal, dry conditions, but on rainy days, we recommend that you deactivate it so that you have total control of your car and the speed that you are driving.

Keep your windscreen clear

Heavy rain accompanied by high humidity can cause windows to mist up inside the car. To avoid this situation, you can turn on the air conditioning to raise the heat and direct the airflow to the windows.

If your car doesn´t have air conditioning, the procedure is quite similar; you can open the window to let the outside air mix with the warm air from the inside of the car so that the temperature can decrease.

An alternative home solution is to rub the glass with a mixture of shampoo and water, and then wipe over with a dry cloth. This method will totally clear the windows.

Respect a safe distance

This is vital! One of the most important tips for driving safely in the rain is to respect a safe distance to the car in front of you. Even if your vehicle is equipped with an ABS system, the braking time increases considerable on the wet ground, that is why keeping your distance is vital to ensure your safety when driving on rainy days. In addition, if you respect the safety distance you can avoid any sudden brakes and the annoying dirty rain that ends up on your windscreen.

Aquaplaning

Both novice and experienced drivers may have problems with areas that have accumulated amounts of water and is known as aquaplaning. You must stay calm and avoid making any sharp turns with the steering wheel, simply hold it firmly and ease your foot off the accelerator, apply slow and gentle pressure to the brakes and carefully steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. Before you know it, you will have passed it and will be able to drive normally.

Car Maintenance

Maintaining your car in good condition and carrying out frequent checks is imperative for the correct working function of your vehicle and is especially important during rainy seasons.

Check regularly to make sure none of your lights have burnt out and replace any immediately. Maintain your tyres. Tire tread is what allows your tyres to adhere to the road. Bald tyres significantly reduce your traction on wet roadways and is dangerous. Without the right traction, you can skid, slide and be more at risk for aquaplaning.