How to drive in the wet

Thursday, 25 June 2020

A few simple suggestions for driving in the wet.

With severe weather warnings for part of the North Island, it is safe to say wet weather is here. While the rain will be a blessing for Auckland's parched reservoirs, it means the roads will be more dangerous than usual. Here are some basics that can help you to stay safe on the road when the weather turns. Some are obvious - but it's the obvious things that are often neglected.

Be wary if it's wet after a dry spell

Some call it 'summer ice', which is the result of oil and other fluids collecting on tarmac during dry weather. Then, when it finally rains, the surface can become unexpectedly slippery. Drive with extreme caution when the rain first starts coming down.

Wet roads are a breeding ground for insurance claims. Don't get caught out.

Double your following distance

It's not the two-second rule in the wet - it's the four-second rule.

* Auckland to Wellington without stopping? You shouldn't.

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Make sure your tyres, brakes, air conditioning and wipers are up to scratch.

We all know the two-second rule: count 'one thousand and one, one thousand and two' as the car in front passes a static object and if you pass it before you've finished counting, you're too close.

But in difficult driving conditions, you should actually apply the four-second rule to account for reduced visibility and increased stopping distances.

Assume your car is only handling half as well as it should

Sometimes accidents are unavoidable. But there's lots you can do to minimise the risk.

On wet roads, everything about the way your car handles is compromised. You probably have a decent idea of how well your car steers and responds.

If it's really wet, assume it'll only be half as good. Be super-smooth and pretend the car is not its usual alert self. Because in tricky conditions, it's not.

On top of this, make sure your car is up to scratch. That means tyres, brakes, air conditioning and wipers at the very least.

Think twice about using cruise control

See that spray? It can be nasty if it hits your windshield at the wrong moment.

Cruise control is brilliant on long trips or for keeping your speed down in town, but it isn't recommended for use in wet weather.

It can't see potential drama unfolding ahead or a massive puddle in the road; if you're not paying full attention because you've got the cruise on, you might not be able to react to a hazard in time - or rather the car may not be able to respond to your inputs.

Modern adaptive cruise control is good for maintaining a safe distance but some systems will shut down if the weather gets really bad. Be ready to take over (although you're always ready, right?)

Be alert to oncoming traffic

Look out for spray from oncoming traffic, especially trucks. It can blind you for crucial moments.

If there's a lot of surface water, keep a lookout for traffic moving at speed towards you on the other side of the road - especially trucks.

As they come alongside they can spray a huge amount of water straight onto your windscreen and it can take a few moments for vision to clear. If you think that might be about to happen, reduce speed (don't brake suddenly though) and watch the direction of the road carefully.

Know your brakes

Anti-lock braking, or ABS, can stop you safely on different surfaces. But do you know if your car has it?

If you've got a newer car it'll almost certainly have anti-lock braking. If you have an older car, it might not. Either way, make sure you know.

In an emergency situation where you must stop as quickly as possible on a wet road, you have to know what to do. In an anti-lock-equipped car, you'll need to brake as hard as you can and keep the pressure on - the technology will take care of the rest.

In a car without this technology, pressing too hard will cause the brakes to lock up and you could lose control.

Ideally, you need to use 'cadence' braking, where you take the brakes to the point of locking and then gently release, over and over again. That's quite hard to learn and very hard to apply in a panic stop, so your best bet is to drive a car with ABS if you can.

Beware of hydroplaning

Hydroplaning happens when too much water gets in between your tyres and the tarmac.

Hydro-what? Hydroplaning occurs when you hit water too fast and the front wheels of your car lose contact with the road.

When there's a lot of surface water or you see a flooded section looming, slow down so that you retain steering control.

If you do hydroplane, stop accelerating and keep your hands on the wheel - but don't try to steer, as that won't help. You need to know where straight-ahead is when the tyres regain traction, so hold steady.

If your car has been for a wade, give your brakes a gentle test when you're out the other side.