Safe driving and the information you want
All drivers are threatened at some point by bad weather. Sadly, most underestimate the necessary of safe driving in a massive weather condition. In Malaysia, we are used to driving in beautiful sunny conditions. This is because Malaysia is on the north of the equator, meaning that there are no four seasons which are spring, summer, winter, autumn, but there are sunny days and rainy days all year round. Due to this, most of the experienced drivers and few young drivers that are licensed think that Malaysia is a country where there are no natural disasters. The question here is, how many of us have an adverse weather experience?
The term “adverse conditions” applies to any weather event such as rain, fire-induced terrible haze, flooding, or thunderstorm that make driving more dangerous. Adverse weather conditions can be defined as those caused by weather changes that require the driver to take special care and adapt his/her normal driving behaviour. Such circumstances tend to reduce the driver’s vision and the ability to control the vehicle safely. Hence, in the Malaysian driving school none of the trainees were taught how to drive in adverse weather or to overcome the challenges faced by the driver and passenger in adverse weather conditions.
To be safe on the road, extreme weather requires safe driving. Wet road surfaces and strong wind can cause the tyre to hydroplane (skim on a thin layer of water) and other driver problems as it reduces control of the steering. This can result in the risk of road accidents. Here are a few tips for bad weather driving.
Plan Before The Drive
Safe driving begins with some great plans. It usually takes longer to drive in bad weather and it is more stressful. If you have not left more time to reach your destination and therefore run late, this will only increase your stress level and may adversely affect your driving experience. Also, it is important to check the weather before drive to a place. To avoid the brunt of a weather system, do so if you can take an alternative route. You might also want to consider rescheduling your trip until the weather turned better or normal. In bad weather you can drive more slowly than normal as this reduces the possibility of skids and accidents.
Get More Careful With Braking
Rain is good because it helps water our plants, frolic in can be fun; but driving in it? Well, it’s not that fun because it can actually be quite dangerous and it required a safe driving techniques. Rain causes the tires of the car to lose traction. The water mixes with the dirt on the road surface; when the road gets wet, making it more difficult for the tires to hold to the road. Apart from the rainfall on the street, it’s difficult to see the water while sitting inside the vehicle. Most of us have experienced this, while driving on the road and the downpour suddenly gets so heavy that it makes us difficult to see the road. In such a scenario, in ideal weather conditions, it is difficult to brake the way we can. The roads are slippery, which means that if it is brake too hard, the car can slide further. This can also get water in the car brakes, which will cause the brake to stop working. To prevent any of these scenarios, it is important to keep a lot of distance between the car in front and drive slowly. Next, the best-case scenario is to stay away from standing water such as big puddles, but if it’s on the street and have to drive through it, make sure to slow down the car. If not, there is a risk to lost control. Therefore, passing through deep water could cause trouble to the engine and brakes of your car.
Get Your Car Ready For Bad Weather
Proper inflation of the tire ensures that the driver will have the best possible vehicle control and increase fuel efficiency so it is important to check the tires often. Adverse conditions can impact the tire pressure of the vehicle due to weather changes. The cold air can cause the tire pressure to drop during cold weather such as rainy day, and for the tires to have less air in them. If the weather is hot, the tires will actually end up with more air inside. This is important to remember if a driver is not used to regularly testing the tire pressure of the car. The tires mature, after riding for a while as it makes the tread, the rubber which gives driving car traction, it begins to get worn off. The vehicle tires get thicker and thinner as this happens, and the tires get less traction. At some point, the tires are more likely to blow out or just go flat. Besides that, It’s important to keep an emergency kit in the car and assembling a basic kit takes just a few minutes and it is never known when it is needed. Even if you’re only planning to drive in the countryside and don’t plan to be on the road for a long time, you may be stuck, unable to use a certain lane, or even offer help to someone else who needs it.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, regardless of how much driving experience a person have or how much weather a driver drives in, it is always important to follow the basic thumb rule. In some of the most common situations, keeping these tips can help to manage the road. Other than driving carefully on the road and getting ready the vehicle during terrible weather, it is important to have a protect for a car. Car insurance is important because it will cover your costs in the event of damage to the vehicle. Is insurance covering natural disasters? The answer is Yes!! For most weather-related threats, the motor insurance will cover the damages that caused on the vehicle. Just make sure that you have the right type and coverage amount in place.
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