Adverse driving conditions

Rain

Wet roads are dangerous. Many drivers only think that snow is dangerous, but wet roads can be quite treacherous. Rain-slicked roads decrease your braking ability, so it takes you much further to stop than on dry roads. Even a light misting can make roads slippery as the rain mixes with the oil on the road to create a greasy surface. Of course, a heavy downpour creates the danger of aquaplaining. Aquaplaning occurs when you drive too fast on roads that are covered in water.

When aquaplaning, your tyres are actually “surfing” on a thin layer of water between your tyres and the road. Your tyres aren’t touching the ground and thus have no traction. You can think of this as skidding forward. If you feel your car aquaplaning, slow down so that your tyres can make contact with the road again. Light braking is okay, too, provided that you have anti-lock brakes.

Snow, Sleet, and Ice

Snow, sleet, and ice are extremely treacherous and should be treated with great caution. The difficulty in driving in these conditions is that each snow storm is different. Plus, as more cars drive on snow-covered roads, the conditions will change.

Hopefully, your learning process coincides with wintertime. If not, jump in the car with the first time it snows. Like with all hazardous conditions, always err on the side of caution and slow down and increase your following distance.

• Bridges freeze before roads. This is because a bridge is in contact with freezing air from all sides. A road is only in contact with the air above it.
• You never know if there is a sheet of ice underneath the snow. 
• Follow the leader: Drive in the tire tracks of other cars as there will be more traction in these areas.
• Be wary of changing lanes. Often the area between lanes has a build-up of crunchy ice which should be avoided. If you must change lanes, do so gradually while holding the steering wheel firmly.
• All snow is different, so testing is necessary. When you first hit the road, test your brakes before you need to use them to gauge how they react to the conditions.
•  Beware of black ice. Actually, the term “black ice” is misleading. The ice that forms has little-to-no air bubbles in it which makes the ice transparent. Therefore, it takes on the colour of whatever is underneath it. So, on tarmac or dark coloured roads, it appears black. This black ice is extremely dangerous because it is so difficult to see. The only way you’ll know if you’ve hit a patch of black ice is that all road noise will go mute…because you’re sliding on ice. I have no advice for this other than to take your foot off both pedals and continue driving straight. Hopefully, the patch will end soon and you’ll be back on the road again.
• Stay in the correct lane. There’s no need to drive quickly in snowy or icy conditions.

Fog

Fog lights should be used when visibility is reduced below 100 meters. If possible, driving in heavy fog should be avoided.

If you must drive in fog, make sure that you:

• Turn off your high beams and turn on your fog lights. Your high beams will actually reflect off the cloud (yes, fog is actually a cloud that is touching the ground) and bounce back into your face.
•  Slow down and increase your following distance (surprised, right?)
•  Since your vision is obscured, use your ears. Turn off the radio and roll down your windows and listen for cars braking, spinning out, or crashing.
•  Tap your brakes prior to braking to alert the driver behind you.

So, what’s the lesson here?

1. Recognize that you’re in a hazardous driving situation.
2. Slow down.
3. Increase your following distance. 
    

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