Winter is on the way and we’ve already faced some pretty heavy rain. It’s important to keep your speed down when driving on wet roads, the consequences can be catastrophic otherwise.
Firstly, to help you stop, in any conditions, your tyre tread depth should be as high as possible. This is even more important on a wet road. The less tread on your tyres the greater the stopping distance. We created a video which shows you how to check your tyres, we hope you find it helpful:
It’s recommended that your tyres should have a minimum tread depth of 3mm although this is not a legal requirement.
When driving on a wet road your tyre grip is reduced. You should give yourself plenty of time to slow down or stop and increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front to at least double the distance for that of a dry road.
Road surfaces can become very greasy when it rains after a dry spell so be particularly careful, especially when cornering.
Courtesy to other road users
When driving in the wet look out for other people like pedestrians and cyclists. They can be very easily soaked by a passing car if you’re not paying attention. Look well ahead, slow down or give more room when it’s safe to do so. Be aware that cyclists may move out to avoid large puddles.
Aquaplaning
This can be a huge hazard when driving at speed in wet weather. A film of water between the road and your tyres cause your car to slide forward and lose contact with the road. If this occurs even new tyres won’t grip!. You’ll know that you’re aquaplaning if you suddenly feel that your steering has become very light. If this happens you should:
- Ease off the accelerator
- Do not brake
- Do not change direction
The faster you are travelling the greater the chance that you’ll aquaplane. You should keep your speed down and look out for patches of water on the road. Even at lower speeds you may feel your car get dragged to the side if you hit a patch of deeper water. The video below shows the consequences of aquaplaning……scary stuff!!
Poor Visibility – Spray
Other vehicles, particularly HGVs and buses can throw up quite a volume of water from a wet road. This can make overtaking particularly difficult. Even at full speed your wipers may not cope with the volume of water so it may be necessary to slow down and increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front.
Floods
If you have to pass through a flooded section of road take your time. Don’t just drive through it blindly, stop and check how deep it is.
If the water is too deep for you vehicle don’t take a risk. Turn back and find an alternative route. If you don’t you risk damaging your vehicle or possibly worse. Water can flood the exhaust or get into air intakes which could completely damage your engine.
If the water is shallower and passable drive slowly using 1st gear. The centre of the road is normally the shallowest part so use that where possible. Keep the revs high and steady by dipping the clutch slightly as you drive through.
Testing your brakes
Water can reduce the effectiveness of your brakes. After driving through a flood check your mirrors then press your brakes. Doing so will help dry them out. If they aren’t working properly apply a light pressure to them while driving slowly. Only increase your speed when your sure they are working normally.
