13 rainy day driving essentials during pandemic

Let’s face it.

We’re now on the last stretch of the year — yet — the risk of contracting the virus nowadays still poses a real threat. More so, with this pandemic n ow c o - existing with our country’s yearly flu season right in the middle of this onslaught of tropical rains — that risk even doubles.

That’s why we should also double our efforts in taking care of ourselves when we head out there and grind. With many things bugging us, here are probably 13 driving essentials we should consider if we are to survive this with little damage — or better yet, unscathed.

1. Monitor weather forecast the night before

Tune in to your local news channel on television or radio. You could also check social media sites for weather updates so you could take necessary efforts to come up with an action plan before you head out there and drive through nature’s flurry.

If the storm grows to be too violent, there’s always an option to just stay home.

2. Always recharge yourself If you’ve always been healthy since the start of the pandemic because of the various precautions you have been carefully observing, such as: sleeping with a fair amount of hours, loading up with vitamin C and exercising, continue doing so like clockwork. Remember, arming yourself first is always your best protection.

3. Checkup regularly

Do service checkups regularly. You never know what you might encounter on the road during these kinds of weather. Just pray you don’t have to subject your car into muddy floodwaters.

4. Check your wipers too Wiper blades tend to wear out fast. Their rubber strips grow from useful to nil within a year and may even scratch your windshield. The usual culprits are hardening or even forming cracks on their thin surfaces.

The washer bottle — meanwhile — should be filled up. If you want, mix it with a mild detergent to better ward off dirt and oil.

5. Bring the essentials

Masks and face shields are obviously mandatory these days. But so are: alcohol or hand sanitizers, tissues, wet wipes, thermos with warm water and lemon for an extra alkaline boost, extra clothes in case you get wet in the rain, umbrella, cashless payment apps on your smartphone and of course — prayers (lots of it).

6. Guard the beacon

Headlights serve as your secondary eyes on the road. Make sure that they work properly in the middle of a downpour. And so do your taillights.

7. Body protect

Use wax coating if you care about your car’s paint. Water from rain is acidic and affects the car’s overlay, making it fade and sometimes peel away. Also, fix little dents right away since decay starts with a little chink in one’s armor.

8. Check your tires

Tires are your legs on the road as they make the first direct contact. Make sure that they’re properly balanced and aligned. Inspect tire pressure too — as well as — cracked rubber. The tire tread depth must cover enough traction and should not be less than two millimeters. You don’t want to be aquaplaning like Olaf in Disney on Ice.

9. Take a brake

Take time to look at your brakes. Its calipers should be regularly cleaned and replaced, if needed.

If you catch yourself between a rock and hard place, better dry your brakes right after. There’s a certain technique for doing this.

Tone the speed down as well as brakes tend to be less effective during rainy days.

10. Drive slow, but surely

Again, if you find yourself in floodwaters — don’t panic. Put the car in first gear and drive through gently. Just keep on pushing the throttle — as water might get into the tail pipe. However — do take note that before plunging in — make sure your car can handle it. Here, it’s either your ego or the brunt of car repairs.

11. Regularly carwash

Another new normal — this time — during rainy days would be floods. Carwash and detailing would do the trick in case water seeps in, wets the carpet and worse starts eliciting foul smell.

Also, they now have antibacterial cleaning to ward off viruses — just perfect for the new normal.

12. Bring Lysol sprays

Well, by now you already know — for sure — what to do with this.

13. Make sure air conditioning works

Once you’re out there, you’re already exposed to the elements. The car’s sheets of metal and fabric are one form of protection. That’s why when you’re in the city, always close your windows. A working air conditioning system would be of the essence here. Otherwise, it’s going to be one steam bath inside.

Also, it is important that you always turn on the recirculation button of the car instead of the “fresh air” mode. You don’t want to welcome any unwanted small particle inside, would you?

With these, this writer fervently hopes that we — mere mortals — can still do something about our situation despite the fact that Mother Nature keeps walloping her will.