Rainy Season Essentials
This year’s rainy season is here and already in full swing! While the rain has its benefits, an unfortunate effect of heavy rainfall is more traffic and increased occurrences of vehicular accidents.
It’s important that your vehicle is well-equipped to handle the conditions that you are faced with for over half of each year.
Here are some things we can help you with to ensure your safety and comfort are top priority when driving this rainy season:
Tyre maintenance is key to road safety in wet conditions. Tyres should be up to date and have a healthy thread depth to ensure that you get enough traction against the road to prevent hydroplaning and skidding. Having enough pressure in the tyre is also essential against these occurrences since underinflated tires can be more prone to hydroplaning and overinflation also poses a risk since this reduces traction.
Well-functioning brakes are necessary always, so scheduling a routine brake check is never a bad idea. Your car should be able to come to a complete stop if it needs to in unexpected situations on the roads. Do note however, that while stopping suddenly may be necessary in some situations – in wet conditions it is often best to brake slowly to prevent skidding.
Headlights are essential, as they will increase visibility of the road and allow other drivers to see you when visibility is low during heavy rainfall. Have your headlights and brake lights checked for functionality regularly and cleaned or restored as needed to make sure the clarity is at optimal level.
Also, on the topic of visibility – wipers and windshields! Wiper blades should be changed every year or so to ensure that they are performing their function effectively. Worn blades tend to leave behind more and more residue over time which means when rain is falling, they still leave behind water when they wipe your windshield – this means your vision will be obscured and this is dangerous. Make sure blades are checked and changed if needed to maintain clear vision during the rain!
Windshields can be treated with a windshield coating to repel raindrops. This will help maintain a clear field of vision on the roads and can be applied to front and back windshields or even windows! This is an added bonus since most vehicles do not come equipped with rear wipers which means in heavy rain rear vision is obscured.
Let’s move the conversation inside - a functioning air conditioning system is a must. No one wants to get stuck in heavy rain and traffic without AC! A crack in the window lets rain in, and keeping the windows up means the vehicle turns into a stuffy, comfortable experience. Have your air conditioning system checked and serviced routinely.
These tips should equip you for a safe and comfortable driving experience this rainy season and of course, we are always available for further consultations and services to meet these needs. See you soon!