How to drive in the rain?

Pho3nix

Pho3nix

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Hi guys,

Was just curious, looking at all the accidents I saw on the N1 this afternoon/evening between Hammanskraal and JHB it would seem many a person don't know how.

Going to include myself in this, as I was assisted by traction control when I waterpaned in the middle lane :wtf:

So is it as simple as :

  1. Extend following distance
  2. Check tyre pressure
  3. Make sure your lights are on
  4. Drive slowly?

Because I did the same and was helped by the fact that there were no other cars in the adjacent lanes :(
 
Reduce speed, avoid standing water if possible, or slow down before hitting it. Lights on, make sure your tyres have sufficient tread, plenty of following distance.
 
Sinbad said:
Reduce speed, avoid standing water if possible, or slow down before hitting it. Lights on, make sure your tyres have sufficient tread, plenty of following distance.
Click to expand...
And if you hit a puddle out of the blue do not accelerate or brake....coast through it. At least that's what I was taught.
 
Most of this is captain obvious stuff but yet like 5% of people actually do it in the rain.

Extended following distance is critical when the skies open.
 
Wtf is up with every second car driving with their hazard lights on at the slightest hint of rain on the N1 Jhb?
 
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As an European watching you guys drive in the rain is a very scary experience: Windscreen wipers can't keep up and people still drive 120km/h on the high-way. And then for sh*ts and giggles they look out for puddles to blast through it in their 4x4's only to find themselves losing complete control of their vehicles.

Hardly anyone knows what to do when the car aquaplans (hold steering wheel firmly, foot off the accelerator, do not break) and for whatever reason some people go as far as continuing to use cruise control
 
Pho3nix said:
Hi guys,

Was just curious, looking at all the accidents I saw on the N1 this afternoon/evening between Hammanskraal and JHB it would seem many a person don't know how.

Going to include myself in this, as I was assisted by traction control when I waterpaned in the middle lane :wtf:

So is it as simple as :

  1. Extend following distance
  2. Check tyre pressure
  3. Make sure your lights are on
  4. Drive slowly?

Because I did the same and was helped by the fact that there were no other cars in the adjacent lanes :(
Click to expand...

Did you really drive 80 vs 100 or 120?

Adequate tyres also help, the newer (aka more tread) the better.

Many accidents on N1 South today in PTA in rain (multiple at Botha, saw car, on the iTraffic camera website, on roof before Lynnwood road bridge.

One evening saw 4 single car accidents and in 5 car accident on R21 when coming from Kempton to home.
 
Cheap Chinese tyres are a problem too.

Having just rotated dealer supplied Durun tyres to the front, I'm finding their dry and wet grip substantially worse than the Bridgestones I had there previously with the car now understeering in the wet on some corners at regular traffic speeds.
 
Drove from Northcliff to Edenvale on N1 in torrential rain today. Fortunately the roads were quite empty an only one or two idiots driving over 100. Most cars kept substantial following distance......was impressive actually ... and suprising.

Kept switching to 702 for weather updates but up until late afternoon they were still saying cloudy with scattered rain :wtf:

Suddenly after 5:00 - flash floods.
 
Crazy part is SA doesn't even have snow/ice and yet manages to be near top of fatality tables anyway.

Bad avg vehicle and bad avg driver skills imo.
 
supersunbird said:
Did you really drive 80 vs 100 or 120?

Adequate tyres also help, the newer (aka more tread) the better.

Many accidents on N1 South today in PTA in rain (multiple at Botha, saw car, on the iTraffic camera website, on roof before Lynnwood road bridge.

One evening saw 4 single car accidents and in 5 car accident on R21 when coming from Kempton to home.
Click to expand...

I was and I'm sure.
Tyre's were a problem as well, not all inflated correctly. Tyres are less than a year old and if it matters car is rear wheel drive.

Turned white when all this occurred and carefully watched the road even more from that moment on.
 
Are there any specific tyres one should use for wet conditions?

Aren't there tyres available for wet & snowy conditions?
 
skye.za said:
Are there any specific tyres one should use for wet conditions?

Aren't there tyres available for wet & snowy conditions?
Click to expand...

We swap out our tyres every 6 months from summer tyres to snow tyres. They come in soft gummy and studded versions. I only use studded because ice sucks. I slid out on black ice yesterday going 60, managed to keep it on the road though.
 
  1. Extend following distance
  2. Check tyre pressure
  3. Make sure your lights are on
  4. Drive slowly?
    [*]Use wipers
 
I tend to keep a safe following distance, my tyre pressure is checked at every fill-up, and I slow right down when I see larger puddles.
I have Michelin Primacy 3 tyres on mine, done just over 29000km on them (1st 24000km were done by the 1st owner), they seem to grip very well even on wet roads I must say, and still have plenty tread.

I had a late nite flight and landed at OR Tambo just after midnight nite this morning, on the way home there was very heavy rain, and a bit of flooding in the East Rand, I took it easy, the car handled it very well, even when I stumbled upon some surprises when going through Edenvale, got on the highway and sat at 100km/h, it was quite empty, and after Marlboro there was far less moisture.

My old Polo Vivo had a fresh set of Goodyear GT2s, but my word did it used to spin and slide in heavy rain, they were a bit narrow though. I feel like my current car has more than adequate tyres for bad weather hence why it drove so well.
 
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Tsepz_011 said:
I tend to keep a safe following distance, my tyre pressure is checked at every fill-up, and I slow right down when I see larger puddles.
I have Michelin Primacy 3 tyres on mine, done just over 29000km on them (1st 24000km were done by the 1st owner), they seem to grip very well even on wet roads I must say, and still have plenty tread.

I had a late nite flight and landed at OR Tambo just after midnight nite this morning, on the way home there was very heavy rain, and a bit of flooding in the East Rand, I took it easy, the car handled it very well, even when I stumbled upon some surprises when going through Edenvale, got on the highway and sat at 100km/h, it was quite empty, and after Marlboro there was far less moisture.

My old Polo Vivo had a fresh set of Goodyear GT2s, but my word did it used to spin and slide in heavy rain, they were a bit narrow though. I feel like my current car has more than adequate tyres for bad weather hence why it drove so well.
Click to expand...

My Ford Bantam back in the day (2007 model) had Goodyear GT2s, also very slippery on wet roads. When they wore out I changed them to the basic Pirellis, much better. Put Pirellis on my Figo when the soft compound EOM tyres were too low.
 
Reduce speed...but not by so much that you're an even worse danger on the road. No need to drive 40km/h the highway. If you feel you need to drive that slowly to be safe rather stay at home.
 
Hamster said:
Reduce speed...but not by so much that you're an even worse danger on the road. No need to drive 40km/h the highway. If you feel you need to drive that slowly to be safe rather stay at home.
Click to expand...

So you are already out driving, and one of those cloudburst type storms hit, where you can hardly just see through the windscreen, despite new wipers at full speed, just due to the volume of the clouds deluge... don't slow to 40, just teleport home? :p
 
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