Whenever the Mother Nature decides to shower cool water on the earth and everything therein, motoring is a different ball game. First of all note that driving rules are mostly for ideal and normal situations.
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen it begins to rain, extra caution outside driving rules need to be taken. To ensure you return home in one piece, after driving in the rain, there are don’ts you need to observe.
Reduce Speed Limit: In Nigeria, national highway speed limit is 100 km/h. When it begins to rain, it will be foolhardy and dangerous to follow that rule. It makes sense and safer to drive at lower speed. Even when the shower is slight, you need to reduce your speed right away. For you may suddenly need to apply your brake. Stopping distance on a wet road is far more than what obtains when all is dry. If you had been skiing through water mirror on the road, spraying fellow motorists’ windscreen, when it is time to desperately apply your brake, your pedal may touch the floor of the car and the car just keeps going. Then what?
Don’t off Your Headlights: Even if you are very familiar with the road you are driving through, under no circumstance should you switch off your headlamp. In Nigeria, for instance, a Dangote Cement truck or a fuel tanker, might have broken down on the road. In case of a road you have not plied for months or years, there might have been a big pothole that has turned to a swimming pool. Two things could happen. Your car may get stock. You may damage your car, exhaust or other parts after dropping into the pothole on high speed.
Stop When Visibility Goes Bad: Sometimes, the rain could become so heavy that your windscreen could almost work as a fish pond. Your wiper may no longer keep pool of water from obstructing your view. When that happens, no matter how much in a hurry you are to reach your destination, stop and allow the rain to subside before continuing the journey.
Don’t drive Across River-on-the-road: When you suddenly bump onto pool of water, static or flowing across the road, don’t drive across, unless the bottom is visible so that you know its depth. Otherwise, a number of things could happen, broken bottles or nails might have deposited under the water, which could damage your tyre. Depending on the weight of your vehicle, certain fast moving flood could sweep a vehicle off the road, away unto a lake or ditch. Check out the lead picture. That’s a motorist’s experience. It’s not funny. You don’t want to experience such, do you?
Please be careful out there. Happy Motoring.
–Auto Tourist
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