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How To
Tips and Techniques for Driving in Rain
By Liz Kim
We've all experienced it. We turn on the local evening news, impressive graphics
explode on the screen, a heart-thumping anthem fills you with a sense of urgency
and doom, and we're treated to the specter of Stormwatch 2003.
In most parts of the country, this would signal the onslaught of some freakish
weather pattern like a tornado ripping through a trailer park, a hurricane devastating
the candy-hued salsa bars of southern Florida, or an ill, chill wind plunging
the Great Plains into rigor mortis.
Here in the drama queen capital of the world, otherwise known as Los Angeles,
Stormwatch 2003 precedes, well, rain. It leads the evening's broadcast,
alarm and despair mar the cheap plastic smiles of the perfectly coiffed news anchors,
and five reporters are assigned to different areas of the city, all of whom suffer
the indignity of being rained upon. The jovial meteorologist/comedian is finally
allowed a starring role after months of devising new and interesting ways to say
"sunny and in the high 70s" and gets to use such impressive, multi-syllabled phrases
as "torrential downpour" and tongue-twisters like "sweater weather."
Now, admit it, the rest of the country may not freak out when it rains
like we Angelenos do, but traffic is invariably worsened thanks to some intrepid
driver who neglects to take into account the different driving conditions that
showers wreak upon already-choked roadways. There are several tips to keep in
mind when it's gray and drizzly out, and you're required to brave the storm and
drive somewhere rather than curl up in a down comforter with a good book and Count
Basie on the stereo, as nature dictates you should.
- First, take precautionary measures. Allow for more travel time; keep in
mind the traffic and the fact that you should be driving slower, or that your
preplanned route may be kiboshed.
- Also, stay on top of your car's condition; its brakes, tire pressure and
tread depth, wipers and defroster should be checked regularly so that you
don't have to deal with it during a deluge.
- Safety features such as stability control, traction control and all-wheel
drive are increasingly popular standard or optional features in vehicles.
If you live in an area with frequent inclement weather, consider these in
your next car purchase. Furthermore, tires designed specifically for wet roads
aid drivers during the storm seasons. Read Goodyear
Aquatred 3: The Next Generation for a more in-depth look.
- Make sure that your wipers are in good condition and functioning properly.
If they're brittle or damaged, replace them before you're caught in a downpour.
- Every car should have an emergency kit. Read How
to Create Your Own Emergency Roadside Kit for details.
Now you're ready to hit the road.
- The biggest issue to take into consideration is that a wet road is more
slippery than a dry road. Your tires lose traction and adherence to the road
because there's a film of liquid between them and the asphalt. Thus, you should
leave extra space between you and the car in front of you. Brake earlier and
with less force than you would normally. Not only does this increase the stopping
distance between you and the car in front of you, it also lets the driver
behind you know that you're slowing down. Also, be more meticulous about using
turn signals, so that other drivers know your intentions, and take turns and
curves with less speed than you would in dry conditions.
- Most of America's roads are crowned in the middle, which means that the
water will run off to the sides. If possible, stay on the middle of the road
to avoid deep standing puddles.
- If you see a large pool of brackish water ahead of you, if at all possible,
drive around it or choose a different route. It could be that it's covering
a huge gaping maw into the front door of hell. Well, nah, but water splashing
up into your engine compartment can damage your internal electrical systems.
Also, a pothole may be hiding under the water, just waiting in ambush to damage
a wheel. If you can't gauge the depth, or if it's covering up the side curb,
try to avoid it.
- Don't attempt to cross running water; this ain't an SUV commercial, and
you'll probably get into a heckuva lot of trouble if the force of the water
is greater than the weight of your vehicle. Save the whitewater ride for the
Colorado River or a Clinton scandal.
- After you cross a puddle, tap on your brake pedal lightly to dry off some
of the water on your rotors.
- Turn on your headlights, even when there's a light sprinkle. It helps you
see the road, and more importantly, it helps other motorists see you. However,
don't blast your high beams in the rain or fog -- it'll obscure your view
further, as the beam will reflect back at you on the water droplets in the
air.
- Watch out for pedestrians. Fiddling with an umbrella or a rain slicker means
that a usually observant pedestrian is otherwise distracted. Plus, raindrops
deaden sound, so the usual audio clues for measuring car distances become
obscured. Keep a sharp lookout for people in the road.
- If it's raining so hard that you can't see the road or the car in front
of you, pull over and wait it out. This editor had the best sandwich of her
life when she stopped for a Blimpie's in Louisiana after getting caught in
a deluge during a cross-country trip.
- If there's a chance that the rain will freeze, double your precautions.
Carry snow chains, as well as a supply of salt, sand or kitty litter (make
sure Fluffy hasn't relieved herself in it first). When your tires are spinning
on a patch of ice, place some of said material around the drive wheels to
gain traction. It also helps to have a small shovel to remove excess ice and
snow from around the tires and to be in second gear rather than first.
Again, in a perfect world, we would all be able to hang out at a dingy cafe for
hours on end, smoke unfiltered cigarettes and discuss the merits of Derrida on
rainy days. Reality being what it is, you probably still have to dredge up enough
moxie to go to work. Taking a few precautions and being extra careful will hopefully
keep you from being the poor, sopping wet chump on the shoulder of the freeway
waiting for a tow truck.
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