Wet weather driving tips for the school holiday

Friday, 5 July 2019

A few simple safety suggestions for safer driving in wet weather.

If you are heading out on a family road trip these school holidays, you will probably encounter rain. Yep, it's going to be a wet school holidays. Surprise!

Driving can be dangerous even in ideal conditions, and driving with a car-load of kids and luggage is always more challenging. But the potential for trouble is so much higher when wet weather closes in - especially at this time of year - so here are some tips for dealing with the kids and the bad weather on the road these school holidays.

Driving in the rain always requires extra attention. It's even more vital with the whole family aboard.

Make sure your vehicle is ready for the journey

During the days immediately before your holiday drive, check the tyres, check the oil and water, check the windscreen washing fluid, and fill the vehicle with fuel.

**READ MORE:

Even if your wiper blades don't need replacing, give them a good clean before heading off.

* Road Safety Week tips with Greg Murphy: keep your car properly maintained

* Silly car question: How do I look after my car in a storm?

* Silly car question #9: What do I do if somebody is following too close?**

If your wipers aren't sweeping the water away cleanly, your vision will be severely affected when the rain really starts to pour down. You might need to replace them if they're brittle or cracked. Even if your wiper blades don't need replacing, you should always give them a good clean with soapy water or rubbing alcohol on a paper towel before heading off on a trip with the family.

While you wipers do the outside, good air con can help you maintain visibility from the inside.

A good amount of tread on your tyres will help disperse water and give you grip. Use a 20-cent coin to check it.

We tend to think of air conditioning as a summer thing that keeps us cool on a hot day. And it does, but it's just as important for winter driving, because it demists the windows, ensuring you have good visibility. Make sure your is working properly before you head off these school holidays.

Probably the single most important thing to check is your tyres - good grooves help disperse water and give you grip.

Make sure your tyres are at the correct pressure and you have enough tread (1.5mm, or enough to cover the bottom of a 20-cent coin when you slot it in).

The former will keep your car tracking straight and handling consistently in an emergency situation; the latter will help you maintain traction at all times, because those little grooves help disperse water so that the rubber has something tangible to connect with.

The pre-journey check applies to a trailer too, if you intend towing one. That means that on the day of your journey, once you get going you can keep going - and not have to call in at the closest service station.

Other vehicles - particularly trucks - can throw up spray. Be aware of them before they get to you.

Load up your vehicle the night before

A sure-fire way of getting stress levels to rise is to load up the family car on the day of the family journey. You'll be wondering how on earth you can fit all that cargo into a single vehicle. It might even result in an argument, and driving in an angry state and with an equally angry partner beside you is certainly not the way to begin a family holiday.

Far better to load the vehicle the night before. That also applies to such actions as pre-selecting the best music to listen to, and getting snacks and drinks ready for the trip.

Take it easy on the road

Some bright spark once said that you will get there when you get there - no sooner, no later.

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

Good point that. So remember to drive at the right speed for the conditions (which may be slower than 100kmh due to the wet weather), drive defensively by letting faster vehicles past, and keep a good following distance from the vehicle in front so you can have time to safely react if someone else makes a mistake.

Double your following distance

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 the wet, it's not the two-second rule - it's the four-second rule. Double your following distance to account for reduced visibility and increased stopping distances.

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

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

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 look out 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.

Beware of hydroplaning

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.