My gosh what is this stuff falling from the sky?
Is it those pesky kids sitting on Grandpa’s roof eating corn that causes him to shout to his wife that the rains are here. I think the catch line from that advertisement was, “Marge, Marge, the rains are here!”. If I was living in Southpark I would probably have called “Shenanigans” by now.
Did you know that the weather forecaster is the only person who can make a mistake in their job and keep it. LOL
Seriously though when I was on the tools as a mechanic we would be inundated with work. Wipers not working, wiper blades torn and shredded and leaky windscreens to name just a few of the maladies that made driving in the wet weather un-nerving.
So, lets have a chat about getting your car ready for the winter.
The most important thing to do is to make sure your wipers are working well. Always add some washer detergent into your washer bottle too. All that oil, possum pooh, and lord knows what else is now on the road surface and not hiding in the bitumen anymore. The next place it will be is on your windscreen.
Check your lights. Make sure they all work. Get someone to help you by spotting for you while you operate them from the driver’s chair. If not, use a reflection from a shop window to check while you’re at the supermarket. Any light that is not working needs to be fixed ASAP.
Get your tyres checked. Make sure they have plenty of tread depth. You’re going to need this to pump away as much water from the road surface as possible. Replace them as needed.
Make sure that your heaters, demisters and air-conditioning all work. Wait did I hear someone ask why air-conditioning? It’s cold isn’t it! The answer to this question is easy. Your air-conditioner will help to de-humidify the air in your car keeping your windows free from moisture build up. It will also help to keep the car’s interior dry.
Alright so thats the mechanical stuff taken care of. There is more to consider on top of these pointers. Drive to the conditions. If it’s raining, make sure you increase the following distance to 4 seconds and do not tailgate – please. Just don’t please.
Drive steadily avoiding harsh acceleration, hard braking and sudden directional changes.
Always plan your next move. Apply the system of car control to make sure there is a way out of trouble. I train this to my trainees. It is the simplest thing, but many people struggle with it. Plan when to brake, when to steer, when to speed up and when to slow down. Plan where to put the car. Plan what your position will look like when you turn and above all check the mirrors for tailgaters. Been informed of their presence might mean allowances can be made if an emergency stop is required.
Stay out of puddles unless you know how deep they are. Navigate carefully through sheets of water flowing over the road. Keep in mind that the tyres are not designed to behave like a boat but give them enough water and they will float on top of the road. Control is now lost. Aquaplaning is a huge contributor to accidents in the wet weather.
Above all keep your cool. Enjoy the drive and remember the garden is going to love this drop of rain.
Happy motoring and well, its OK to splash through a puddle if you know how deep it is. Have fun out there.
