No one can influence the weather conditions. Therefore, the situation when the rain catches motorists by surprise on a long journey is far from uncommon. How to behave in bad weather conditions, what to pay attention to and what will help to avoid troubles?
The biggest problems on the road can be caused by natural phenomena such as rain or fog, worse if both are combined. The greatest danger is posed by the road immediately during and immediately after rain, contact with the road is noticeably reduced, the car becomes more difficult to drive, and drops of rain and splashes from under other cars significantly reduce visibility.
The first thing that is required of the driver in rainy weather is to reduce the speed, because driving on wet asphalt resembles driving on ice.
Naturally, the level of danger directly depends on the intensity of the rain, if on the road the driver has to face a heavy downpour, then the most reasonable solution would be to stop the car and wait out the bad weather.
If you cannot interrupt the trip, then you should beware of such a phenomenon as "aquaplaning". Its essence lies in the fact that in heavy rain, the roadway completely goes under the water, and the car simply loses grip. It's easy to notice, the first sign that the situation is close to critical is that the steering wheel becomes very light and rotates with little or no effort. Having felt this, you should not resort to harsh braking, it is better to smoothly slow down and wait until the tires push through the water layer and catch traction on the asphalt.
It is worthwhile to be wary of puddles on the road. Potholes can be hidden under them, and the passage of even a small water obstacle at high speed can significantly affect handling.
Fog poses a great danger to the motorist. When driving in fog, there is not only a significant decrease in visibility, but also a visual distortion of the distance to objects. This must be taken into account when calculating speed and distance. Most of all accidents in fog occur precisely because the driver simply does not have time to react to the obstacle that has arisen. Be sure to turn on the fog lights or low beam. High beam in these conditions is ineffective.
It is possible to protect yourself when driving in conditions of limited visibility simply by observing banal rules and taking all the necessary precautions.
