We’re an observant lot here at Verulam Autos and we have noticed that there seems to be an awful lot of wet stuff falling out the sky. We know we’re fortunate here in St Albans to be avoiding the worst of it but it’s still nasty to be caught out driving in a torrential storm. We thought we’d share our top 10 tips for driving in the rain:
- Make sure your wiper blades (front and rear) are in good condition and working properly. Replace the blades if you need to or pop in and ask us.
- Check your tyres – we check your tyres for you each time you come in for a service or MOT but if it’s been a while, check your pressures and tread to make sure they’re at the recommended levels (this should be in the manual that comes with the car) and legal. Again – we can help if you need us to
- If you’re travelling some distance, check your route for any flooding (or flood warnings), congestion or incidents. The BBC website and AA website are both good for this
- For longer journeys, make sure you’re well prepared with a full tank of fuel, windscreen wash, your mobile phone, waterproofs, hi vis (that’s in your car anyway, isn’t it?), boots and a blanket in the boot of the car. Take drinks and snacks should you need to. Tell people when you’re leaving, your route and when you hope to arrive (if it’s raining hard or has been, allow plenty of extra time for your journey).
- For short journeys still allow extra time. If you’re driving around St Albans remember that you might not be able to see all the potholes so take extra care – it could save you a lot of money!
- Remember to slow down, leave plenty of space between you and the car in front, use dipped headlights so you don’t dazzle oncoming drivers and don’t put your rear fog lights on – these can easily be confused with your brake lights in the rain.
- If you have to drive through standing water, take it gently, drive on the highest part of the ground (use the kerb as a guide) and test your brakes once you’ve been through. As much as your kids may love you creating a massive wave and covering the back windows with water, doing this makes it difficult to control your car.
- If you do break down (and we really hope you don’t) in heavy rain, keep the bonnet of your car shut until help arrives to avoid soaking the electrics
- Remember cars are not built for driving through deep standing water (unless you have a Land Rover) – your car does not possess superpowers that will suddenly get your through flood water. Flooding your engine could mean a very expensive repair bill (possibly a new engine) as well as recovery costs and, even more importantly, jeopardise your safety.
- You can’t blame your car, the wind or the rain for how you drive. Leave time, space and minimise distractions. Find another route if you need to or delay your journey. Stay safe!
So there are our top 10 tips for driving in the rain. Do pop in or give us a call if you need any extra advice or to book your car in for a service or an MOT – keeping your car in the best condition for winter is something we thoroughly recommend.