It’s important for all motorists to adjust their driving behavior during bad weather. This article has tips to help be a safer driver during these times.
If you live in an area which sees very little bad weather, it can be easy to forget just how dangerous these conditions can be when driving on the roads. After all, you will have likely become used to how your vehicle performs when the roads are dry. However, when the conditions change, your driving techniques need to also.
Driving During Bad Weather
If you could do with a few tips on how to improve your driving techniques during instances of bad weather, below is a post from Ed Welliver which can help.
Brake Slowly
Just how quickly your car can brake and bring you to a controlled and safe stop depends on a number of factors, with the most impactful being the conditions of the road. When the weather is good and the roads are dry then it’s easy for your tires to grip. When there is even the slightest amount of water or oil on the road, however, your tires aren’t able to easily hold on to the road.
Even if your vehicle has ABS (an anti-lock braking system), this features still relies on the basic rule that grip is required.
Taking this into account, as you drive, in addition to looking at the vehicle in front of you and using it to gauge when you brake, look to the vehicle in front and around it. If you can see other vehicles braking early, consider joining them, even if the car in front is driving at full-speed. Doing this will help you to avoid rear-end collisions and help you and your passengers to stay safer on the roads.
Is Your Vehicle Indicating?
Just as you use the vehicle in front to gauge how you should be driving, so too do your fellow motorists use your vehicle’s movements, including the many indicator lights.
For this reason, it’s important to ensure that you are indicating each and every one of your intentions, such as changing lanes and taking off-ramps, as early as possible. Of course, you don’t want to the one driving down the freeway with your indicator on, but adding a few extra seconds to the time you switch it on before a turn can be a great help to other motorists and prevent you from being involved in a collision.
Of course, this only works if your vehicle is showing these indications. If you can’t remember the last time that you checked each of your indicator lights, now is the perfect opportunity. Sit in your car with somebody around your vehicle and make sure your brake lights, reverse lights, and indicators are all working as they should. If any aren’t or you can see that a bulb is about to blow, be sure to replace it.
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Avoid Automation
There are so many automation features built into cars these days that it can be easy to forget who is actually driving. The challenge with this is that motorists can often become complacent, thinking that the vehicle will take care of them.
The most common and arguably the most popular is cruise-control. When active, this feature maintains a set speed and, in some instances, even ensures that you don’t get too close to the vehicle you are trailing. The challenge with using this feature during bad weather is that it leads motorists to take their feet away from the pedals, often to rest them as their car drives itself. And while it may only take a second to put them back when needed, during bad weather, this second could be the difference between stopping or avoiding a collision, and getting caught up in one.
Tire Inflation
If you feel like your steering has become sluggish then it’s likely that there isn’t enough pressure in your tires. When this occurs, there is too much tread which comes into contact with the road, causing friction to occur. On the flip side, when there is too much air in your tires then it means there isn’t enough tread contacting the road, minimizing your ability to control your vehicle.
When it is raining or there is ice on the roads, this delicate balance is only made more problematic.
The next time that you are at the gas station, take advantage of the tire-inflation area and make sure that your tires have the correct pressure. It’s as easy as matching the number printed on your tire to that which is displayed when you connect the inflation tool. By ensuring the correct pressure is in your tires you can improve your ability to control your vehicle, especially in bad weather.
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