PRETORIA, South Africa, 12 December 2022: Unpredictable and sudden downpours could cause havoc on the roads, with many motorists pressured to face troublesome driving conditions when heavy rains hit.
Research reveals that from a driver’s perspective, when rainwater ranges rise above highway markings, even reflective markings can disappear beneath the glare of headlampsi. Driving in unhealthy climate not solely requires widespread sense, but it surely additionally calls upon driving strategies and expertise seldom examined in good conditions.
“While many drivers will take great precautions when heading off-road, or driving in snow or sleet, they don’t often give rain the same amount of respect,” stated Kain Hepburn, Driver and Track Safety Coordinator at Ford Australia’s You Yangs Proving Ground close to Geelong, Australia.
Ford gives assist during troublesome driving conditions
Ford’s assortment of superior driver-assist options is designed to assist drivers really feel extra assured and in command on the highway. Some of those good options are designed to assist drivers to be extra conscious of what’s happening round them by offering alerts about surprises on the highway and, when applicable, offering a degree of intervention if required.
But superior know-how is only one a part of the equation. Drivers play an essential half in automobile preparation, hazard evaluation and planning on the subject of driving in moist climate, and a agency grasp of some fundamentals will assist guarantee your journey is a safe one.
While driving in excessive climate is finest prevented, in case you do should enterprise out, you may assist scale back dangers by following just a few primary suggestions.
- Make positive your windscreen wipers are in good situation – Heavy rain can scale back visibility dramatically, so be sure to get into the behavior of repeatedly checking your automobile’s windscreen wipers. If they really feel brittle or cracked, then have them changed instantly. Many Ford autos have rain-sensing windscreen wipers which may robotically swap the wiper motion between intermittent for mild rain to quick for heavy downpours.
- Check your tyres – Your automobile’s tyres are its solely contact with the highway, so ensuring they’re inflated to the producer’s advisable strain and have sufficient tread is important. If you’re unsure they’re on the appropriate strain, then search for a label inside one of many entrance door openings or test your proprietor’s handbook. Some Ford autos have a Tyre Pressure Management System which is able to warn you if it detects that anybody of your automobile’s tyres has misplaced strain.
- Turn in your headlamps – Many Ford autos function dusk-sensing automated headlamps that may swap on as the sunshine begins to fade. But in case your automobile doesn’t have dusk-sensing headlamps, then be certain that to modify them on on the first signal of moist climate.
- Defog your windscreen – Wet climate could cause your windscreen to fog up, so be sure to swap on the entrance and rear de-misters and that the air conditioning is on.
- Plan your journey – Driving in moist climate will take longer than driving the identical route when it’s dry. The highway forward could possibly be flooded or jammed with slow-moving site visitors, so reasonably than making an attempt to hurry, give your self some additional time and keep in mind that everybody’s in the identical boat as you. Just as essential as giving your self some extra time to achieve your vacation spot, be certain that your automobile is topped up with gasoline.
- Keep an eye fixed out for pedestrians and cyclists – Visibility is decreased when driving within the rain and since pedestrians are eager to keep away from getting moist, they’ll typically make hurried and unplanned highway crossings.
- Remember to decelerate – When the roads are moist and slippery it’s important that you simply decelerate and provides your self extra room on the highway to brake. Some Ford autos are fitted with Automatic Emergency Brakingiii which is like having an additional set of eyes watching the highway, capable of apply the brakes if the system detects the motive force has failed to reply to a hazard up forward.
- Avoid driving by puddles – It could be troublesome to inform how deep or sharp-edged the pothole or puddle could be, so, if it’s safe to take action, keep away from driving by the puddle. If you may’t keep away from it, be sure to decelerate to scale back the chance of harm to your automobile. Hitting a puddle or pothole at velocity can injury your automobile’s wheel and even knock the suspension and steering out of alignment.
- Beware of standing water – A puddle of water can disguise a deep pothole, a manhole or perhaps a sinkhole. Furthermore, if there may be sufficient water on the highway, automobile tyres may not be capable to clear sufficient water from the tread to take care of traction or contact with the highway. This is named aquaplaning, and it may be extraordinarily harmful. If you sense your automobile is aquaplaning, try and easily and calmly decelerate till you’ve got regained management. Avoid abrupt and extreme steering, heavy braking or taking corners too shortly.
- Be cautious when overtaking – Overtaking on moist and slippery roads may be very harmful, and it turns into much more harmful if you’re round bigger autos like buses or vans. These autos have a a lot bigger spray zone and will splash water onto your windscreen as you move them, quickly obscuring your imaginative and prescient. The identical can apply to oncoming site visitors; bigger autos that hit a patch of standing water on the opposite aspect of the highway can splash it onto your windscreen.
- Avoid driving by flood waters – Don’t underestimate the hazards of flooded roads. You ought to keep away from driving on flooded roads.
- Stop driving in heavy rain – If you may not see the perimeters of the highway or you may’t clearly see different autos at a safe distance, then cease and reassess your state of affairs. Pick a safe spot to cease and wait out the storm as everybody else’s visibility may even be drastically decreased.
- Have an emergency moist climate equipment – Sudden downpours could cause roads to flood shortly, making it simple to grow to be stranded. So, guarantee you’ve got a moist climate equipment in your automobile, containing issues like a raincoat and umbrella, a water-proof torch, some recent water, snacks, and possibly even a change of garments in case you get moist.
Posted by Ford South Africa on Motorpress
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*Attached picture is for illustrative functions solely and isn’t essentially the precise mannequin out there in market.
