In the summer, there are often sudden heavy rains, sometimes accompanied by strong gusts of wind, thunder and flooding, becoming a nightmare for many drivers when driving on the road.
Although experts always recommend not going out in extreme weather, in reality, we cannot always proactively avoid it. Here are 6 rules that drivers need to know when encountering sudden heavy rain.
Reduce speed, keep a safe distance
When it rains, car drivers should reduce speed by at least 20% compared to normal conditions to ensure safety. For example, instead of running at 50 km/h, the limit should be 40 km/h. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a safe distance, avoid sudden braking or lane changes to prevent the risk of slipping, losing control, and endangering yourself and other road users.
turn on the lights properly, avoid causing misunderstandings
In heavy rain, turning on nearby lights and fog lights is necessary to improve visibility and help other vehicles identify them. On highways or deserted roads, drivers can use emergency warning lights when vision is too poor. However, you should not use emergency warning lights in crowded urban areas because they can cause misunderstanding about the direction of travel.
Adjust the air conditioner, turn off entertainment features
The difference in temperature between the inside and outside of the vehicle makes the glasses easy to blur. Therefore, users in unoverstanding heavy rain should adjust the temperature in the vehicle to nearly the outside temperature and turn on the windshield drying mode if the vehicle has one.
In addition, turn off music and entertainment equipment to listen to environmental sounds, helping drivers respond promptly to emergency situations such as fallen trees, high water or surrounding vehicles, avoiding causing accidents.
Avoid running parallel to large vehicles
Strong winds and fires from large vehicles such as containers or large passenger cars can cause small cars to lose control and become dangerous. Therefore, car drivers, especially 4-seat sedan models, should keep a safe distance, only exceed when conditions allow and absolutely not go in parallel in heavy rain because of the risk of getting into the fog zone, causing a very high danger.
Be careful when traveling through flooded areas
When forced to move through flooded sections, car drivers need to estimate the depth - not exceeding half the wheel for the sedan. Going on low numbers, turning off air conditioners, avoiding creating waves and observing the vehicle in front to choose a safe path. If the water is too high, absolutely do not cross to avoid the risk of water damage and engine failure.
Prioritize safety, rest in the right place
In case the weather is too bad, there is heavy rain and vision is lost, it is best for drivers to find a safe place to rest such as a gas station, stop or high-altitude area. Avoid planting under big trees, signs or cliffs because they are prone to landslides or broken paths. In addition, it is necessary to park vehicles neatly, not obstructing other vehicles.
