Driving and Weather

Image taken from the web

 

Image taken from the web

 

 

Hello James from The Digital Garage here. So weather is something every driver has to deal with regardless of the area you live in. The two major problem weather patterns that drivers have to deal with is snow and rain.

 

Now it seems that the moment rain or snow starts to touch down on the roads that people forget how to drive. You have people slamming on the brakes, speeding up, merging randomly and in general forgetting how to drive. This leads to massive traffic and delays on the roads because invariably some of these drivers will have an accident. You also have people driving a SUV or a truck who think they are unstoppable in the bad weather because of the vehicle which is also not safe for the road. So what is there to do? Well we will cover the 4 big areas: Accelerating, braking, speed, and turning. And its not going to be complicated or long either.

 

First up is Acceleration. Regardless of if the rain or snow just started or has been ongoing, acceleration is a factor to keep in mind. Firstly it is not just from a stop but also once you are at speed. Rain and snow reduce the traction you have on the road. If you mash on the gas you will spin your tires. At a dead stop not the biggest of problems unless you are on an incline. If you spin tires on an incline you could roll back. The key here is gradual acceleration to best avoid a spin. If you are having trouble especially with an automatic you can put it into a lower gear like 1 or 2 which may help. Too much power too quickly will spin the tires even on a dry road. Now at speed if you are going 30-40 mph and you want to rapidly accelerate on the slick road conditions of rain or snow (which may also have ice) you could spin your tires. This is bad news because now you are speed and the vehicle could slide or spin to one side. This can put you into another car or a divider.

 

Now Braking is an important part of driving. Like acceleration, braking should be done gradually. If you jam on the brakes in any situation you can have problems. With the lose of traction evident in rain and snow you are also going to need a longer distance to stop. It does not matter if you have ABS or not, the lost of road traction means you will need more time to stop. A lot of the Minor fender bender accidents occur in these weather conditions because the driver could not stop. If you stomp on the brakes at speed you could also spin the vehicle or have it lurch to one side which could result in an accident.

 

Alright starting and stopping is all well and good but while your driving maintaining a safe speed is important. Going too fast and even too slow is dangerous for you and others on the road. Too fast and you can lose control in the slick conditions or not have enough time to stop. Too slow and you become a rolling obstacle in the road. In these weather conditions you should slow down a little bit. The problem here is people slow down too much and will do so without warning on the road. This creates a problem for those behind the vehicle slowing down resulting in a bottle necking or an accident. The more people on the road that maintain a safe speed will result in everyone getting to where they need to go quicker.

 

Lastly is turning and not just turning down roads but lane changing. Looking at lane changing firstly, be considerate. Whether it is changing lanes or a merger there is no reason to block a car from coming in regardless of weather. In bad weather it further hampers everyone on the road as the cars jockey for position basically. Let the driver in and if you are changing lanes do so in advance. Why? Last minute lane changes in these conditions are not safe. When it comes to turning the principles of acceleration and braking are at work here. Brake gradually and sooner and when you accelerate through the turn do so gradually. This is where you have a higher possibility of spinning a car. But keep in mind that you need to be accelerating in order to turn. It is not necessary to come to a dead stop in the turning lane to turn. Use the slowed momentum to help your turn and gradually accelerate. Regardless of a lane change or a full on turn make sure you signal. You should be signalling anyways but in these conditions signalling and doing so earlier will help alert the drivers behind you. This can save you from a rear end hit by an unwary driver.

 

Well that is it really. And all of this is basic driving ideas that in normal driving conditions people know, but the moment the weather goes sour people seem to forget. This is an overview. Certain tactics will differ for a front wheel, rear wheel, or all wheel drive vehicle but the core idea is worth keeping in mind.

 

See you on the road.