A major cause of car accidents on South African roads is as a result of driving in rainy weather. The reasons are obvious; wet roads, poor visibility and motorists not adjusting their driving habits to these conditions become the ‘perfect storm’ for havoc on the roads. Although it’s not possible to guarantee that a proactive approach to driving in the rain will prevent an accident, it does go a far way to reducing the stats and heightening your duty of care when you find yourself caught in a Gauteng thunderstorm, the misty drizzle of the KZN Midlands or the ‘driving’ Western Cape rain.
Unless you have done an advanced driving course, wet road conditions can take any driver by surprise and easily land you in an accident.
A basic awareness of driver adjustment tips could be the difference between life and death when driving in the rain:
#1 Slow down
No matter the legal speed limit, slowing down in rain is not a suggestion. Adjusting your speed according to the weather conditions is one of the easiest ways to avoid ending up with an accident-damaged or wrecked car. Take your foot off the accelerator and let your speed gradually reduce. It is never wise to brake hard in wet conditions as your car is likely to skid and get out of control. As you take a bend, change to a lower gear. Your speed should be at its slowest as you enter the bend with both hands on the steering wheel.
(As your car is most likely to lose control when doing a sudden turn, or braking when turning, try to brake only when your wheels are facing forward to ensure that your tyres retain maximum grip on the road).
#2 Keep your distance
As it takes longer to stop on wet roads, increasing the advised 3-second following distance rule to 5-6 seconds in the rain will help you maintain a safer travelling distance from the vehicle ahead of you and give you enough time (if you are driving slower) to stop in time. Just a couple of seconds could save you hours of logistics of trying to sell an accident-damaged vehicle.
#3 Let there be light
Load shedding may well affect the street lights and traffic lights in South Africa, but it doesn’t affect your car’s lights. The correlation between poor visibility in rain and car accidents is high. Switching on your headlights (and fog lights) should be an instinctive reaction in rain. Load shedding cannot be avoided, but an accident can be if you switch on your lights. (Avoid prolonged use of hazard lights; they can announce danger but thereafter simply confuse the drivers behind you regarding your intentions).
#4 Potholes? What potholes?
An incessant frustration for South Africans is the ubiquitous pothole. We may joke about them on social media, but they are no joke in heavy rain. Potholes, filled with water, are not clearly visible in wet conditions. That is why the above 3 steps are crucial to hopefully avoid a pothole in rainy weather, otherwise, you are likely to end up with a burst tyre, damaged rim or worse. (Try to avoid large puddles, especially on unknown roads and keep your speed slow so you are less likely to lose control if you do hit a pothole and your tyre bursts).
#5 Take cover
A hail storm is one of those occasions where you need to get out of the rain and take cover – as soon as you can. If you are insured, you may get a warning sms, but for the majority of drivers, you need to make another plan as the hailstones start pounding down. The devastating impact results in many cars being written off after excessive hail damage as the cost of repairs is too high. If you happen to be in such a situation and are uninsured, your best solution is to sell your hail-damaged car.
So look for cover if you can, and accept any delays this may cause. Try to leave the highway so as to avoid multi-vehicle accidents that often result from the recklessness of others in rainy conditions.
(Flooding is an entirely different story and if your car is water-damaged, there is a likelihood that it might be written and you will have to sell it).
Driving in the rain is an art, and even though you have no control over the careless driving practices of others on the road, you can ensure that you take care and drive responsibly; rain or shine.
