Reduced visibility, less grip, more space to brake and the risk of the dreaded ‘aquaplaning’ arising, the main effects of rain that we face when we take the car
Heavy rains will be present for much of the Peninsula these days due to a storm. For this reason, and although during this type of conference it is
it is advisable to take the car as little as possible and avoid dangerous areas with reduced visibility, less grip, tunnels, etc., it is important to know how to drive in situations of this type. Especially since in seven out of ten accidents with bad weather, it rained, according to the
General direction of traffic (DGT), a casuistry that leads us to think if we really know how to drive when it rains.
First of all, keep in mind that if your windshield is dirty from splashes of water, mud and grease, when operating the wiper blades a dirty film can form and prevent visibility. And if you don’t take precautions
so that the windows do not fog up, you can be drastically without vision of the outside.
Also, the first drops, when mixing with the asphalt dust and grease, will make the adherence critical, but it will improve somewhat if it continues to rain, making it more uniform. The greater the accumulated water on the road, the longer the braking distances. But be careful, because if it rains torrentially or there are ‘bathtubs’ on the road, the car can ‘aquaplan’ and skid without direction. In addition, when driving in areas with pools of water, humidity could affect the pads and the effectiveness of the brakes.
How to act? To improve visibility, the DGT stresses that you have to turn on road lighting to make yourself more visible to others; even the rear fog lamp if the rain is very heavy and the cars raise a dense curtain of water. Avoid splashing by increasing the safety distance; and when activating the windshield wiper, do so with plenty of fluid. Before starting, you must clean all the elements of the car that allow you to see (windshield, mirrors and headlights) and be seen (turn signals and the entire lighting system. And to avoid fogging, activate the full power of the air conditioning or the air conditioning and direct the jet towards the windows, a cloth can be a good complement.
To adapt to the loss of grip, it will be key to increase the safety distance and reduce speed, especially in cornering areas; If you are forced to brake without ABS, try to brake in a straight line and release the brakes before you start to turn the wheel. And if hydroplaning occurs and the car skids, hold the steering wheel firmly, do not make sudden movements, do not brake (not even with ABS) and gently lift your foot off the accelerator. On the other hand, check from time to time that your brakes work well and if they fail due to water or moisture, dry them by repeatedly and gently depressing the brake pedal.
If in spite of everything your car runs out of direction and starts to skid, the DGT indicates what to do: keep the steering firm, correct any loss of trajectory as much as possible and avoid accelerating or braking. Experts recommend keeping the throttle at full throttle to make turning the wheels easier and maintaining a steady speed to avoid mass transfer and possible skidding.
What to do if a flood or flood catches us in the car?
First of all, if you come across a body of water on the road, it is best to avoid crossing it. Otherwise, “the risk of being dragged and dying is very likely,” he explains.
Miguel Tome, expert in natural risks of Civil Protection, in the DGT magazine. “The only thing you can do is stay aware of the weather forecast, avoid driving and, if you do, use main roads and avoid local roads and paths, which often intersect with usually dry torrents.”
The reason why the expert advises against entering a body of water has to do with Archimedes’ principle, according to which “every body immersed in a fluid experiences a vertical and upward thrust, equivalent to the weight of the dislodged fluid.” On a vehicle stopped in the middle of a flood, for every 30 centimeters of depth, the force of the current on it increases by 225 kilos. And for every 30 cm of water height from the bottom, its weight is reduced by almost 700 kilos. Therefore, a current of 10-20 km / h and 60 cm deep, would drag most of the vehicles.
However, if we have finally entered the water or it has surprised us so that we cannot abandon it, it is best to get out of the vehicle. Studies carried out in the US assure that more than half of the victims involved in this type of tragedy drowned inside the vehicle because they decided to remain in it, probably due to that false sense of security that is perceived inside the cabin. However, when the car has been stopped in the middle of the river, unable to move forward, and begins to slide and be dragged, “the best thing is to go out as it is,” says the Civil Protection expert.
However, at this point it is possible that the water pressure makes it impossible to open the doors, so the best option will be the window. In the event that it cannot be opened, either because the mechanism has broken down or because the car no longer has electrical power, it is best to break the window – never the front window, because its coating prevents it from being pierced – with a hammer. metal tip or some other blunt object. Once out, swim with the current, but heading towards the nearest shore.
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