QUICK SAFETY REMINDERS FOR DRIVING IN THE RAIN
Withheavy rainfall being a perennial forecast in the Philippines, here aresome quick tips to keep in mind at all times.
1. Check your tires.
Make sure your tires are properly inflated, have decent tread depth left (at least 50 percent tread depth), and are properly aligned.
For rainy season driving, make sure your four tires are properly and completely round when inflated: this ensures your tire treads/grooves are properly working to evacuate water underneath it, and are firm/strong enough to prevent punctures and tire blowouts should you run over potholes and bumps hidden under standing water or encounter road debris and the like.
Don’t forget to check your spare tire, too. Bridgestone, Goodyear and Yokohama offer wheel alignment centers, and they can check your tire’s condition.
Changing tires and getting a full 4-wheel alignment might be expensive, but it’s hard to place a price on one’s safety.
2. Check, clean or replace your wiper blades.
When was the last time you checked, cleaned and replaced your wipers? If you don’t remember, have them replaced.
Wipers range from P250 per wiper blade to P1,350, depending on budget and necessity.
You only need to change your wiper blades about once every 18 months, so don’t skimp on this. Piaa’s silicon enhanced wipers, for example, offer improved visibility, are pliant enough to withstand our hot climate, and deliver consistent wiping in the heaviest of rains.
Better yet, prior to having your wipers replaced, give your windshield and windows a Sonax polishing and cleaning to remove acid rain and residue buildup. The difference is liter- ally, night and day. You will see better at night, under fog or very heavy rain.
3. Check your all your vehicle’s lights.
Your lights do not only allow you to see at night and in poor weather conditions, they also allow you to be seen by other motorists and pedestrians in poor weather and low visibility.
Check your brake lights, park lights, signal lights, headlights, and fog lamps. A rear fog lamp is becoming a popular add-on accessory, and given our regular heavy showers, this is a wise investment.
Just make sure to mount it no higher than one meter above the road, and it should be color red and facing backward. Lastly, keep it off unless visibility is very bad.
4. Check your horn.
A horn can also get you noticed in bad weather. Check that your horn is working properly, and replace it as needed.
Many horns offer excellent quality. Piaa’s super bass horn offers true bolt-on capability without any additional wiring work or relays, while other brands like Bosch, Fiam and Mtsuba also offer high-quality replacements.
Remember, the louder it is, the better it will be in poor weather and visibility. Just don’t abuse that horn in the city.
5. Pack the right gear.
A jacket, an umbrella, reflective early warning devices (red and yellow), a high visibility vest you can buy for P200 at any hardware, a powerful flashlight, plus a complete set of tools and working jack, tire wrench and wheel chocks go a long way to ensure making your drive safer and more convenient.
If you go on long drives regularly, a set of jumper cables and towing rope should also be in your trunk, in case you get stuck in difficult situations.
6.) Check your battery.
Your car’s battery takes a beating during the rainy season as your a/c, wipers and lights, not to mention your sound system, are on most of the time.
Bring your battery to a shop, have it tested to see how much life is left, and replace as needed.
If you really want to extend your battery’s life, invest in a CTek battery car charger and tender, and keep it plugged into the wall socket whenever you are not using the car.
CTek will keep your battery fully charged, and you can leave it indefinitely as its processor prevents overcharging, monitors your battery’s condition continuously, and recharges again when necessary.
DRIVING DURING POOR WEATHER AND VISIBILITY
1. Keep your distance.
Remember to keep a safe distance from the car ahead of you in bad weather. How far is safe? On the highway, a distance of 100 meters thereabouts is recommended.
The distance seems big, but poor visibility slows down our reaction time, plus the vehicle cannot brake as efficiently as opposed to when on dry road.
2. Do everything slowly but surely.
Brake slowly and early, don’t stomp the brake pedal; rather, accelerate carefully, don’t floor it.
Turn into corners early and gradually so as not to upset the vehicle’s grip on the road. Sudden jerky movements cause erratic handling traits on the road, and can cause accidents.
3. Turn on your lights.
When you feel that visibility is poor, immediately turn on your headlights to see further ahead. It doesn’t matter if other cars haven’t turned on theirs.
If you feel unsafe, turn on your lights immediately.
4. Yield the right of way.
The right of way is often always a matter of opinion; so in bad weather, yield it, drive defensively and always give way to others, especially bigger vehicles which may have a more difficult time slowing down
5. Plan your route in advance.
When driving in poor weather, plan your route in advance. Check Waze and social media if the route you plan to pass through is actually passable, as it may be flooded, impassable or covered in debris or stranded vehicles.
6. Do not turn on your emergency hazard/warning lights when moving in poor road and weather conditions.
Should you feel the need to turn on your emergency hazard lights while moving in traffic because you feel it helps improve your visibility, don’t. Pull over safely to the side of the road, then you can turn on your emergency hazard lights and wait for weather to improve.
The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic states that “Hazard warning signal may be used only to warn other road users of a particular danger: a) when a vehicle which has broken down or has been involved in an accident cannot be moved immediately, so that it constitutes an obstacle to other road-users; and b) when indicating to other road-users the risk of an imminent danger.”
The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic forms part of Philippine law, as the Philippines is a contracting party to this convention and ratified it by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 207 [1973].
7. Stay home if you can.
When the weather is absolutely horrid, stay and work at home if possible. Don’t add to the traffic. Don’t risk getting stranded, and don’t waste time stuck in traffic and wasting fuel.