It doesn’t always rain in Dubai, it’s a desert, that’s quite obvious. However, when it rains, it pours and then sometimes the roads get flooded. Driving in wet conditions can be treacherous, but sometimes one just doesn’t have a choice. So how does one ensure the safety of yourself and your car in these situations? These and more are what we are going to be looking at today.  

Safety begins even before you get into your car. I say it even begins with the choice of car you drive and even maintenance of your vehicle. When it rains, one of your goals should be to be seen and also to see others, this is because rain reduces visibility. So you want your windshield to always be clear. If your wiper doesn’t take away water from your screen on one swipe or it leaves streaks after wiping of water, you should change it. Also, all your lights should be working. Brakelights, all your headlamps, taillights and also turn lights. This will reduce the possibility that you’d be hit because another driver could not see you. Turn on your headlamps too, very important. 

Drive Slowly

On clear days, one of the major causes of accidents are drivers overspeeding. In the rain, you have to go way below the required speed for several reasons. First, the ground is wet, stopping will take longer than usual, you have to put this into consideration. There’s also the danger of hydroplaning on a wet road. When the road is wet, the water creates a layer between the floor and the tyres which would make stopping difficult. So to avoid this, make sure you don’t make any sharp turns, don’t brake suddenly if you can’t help it and drive in the tracks of the vehicles in front of you. The car in front would have displaced some of the water for you. Make sure there’s also enough space between you and the vehicle in front of you so that you have enough time and space to brake. Don’t also forget to drive at 35km/hr. 

Your Tyres

These are very important, take care of them. The shallower your tyre tread is, the higher chances it has of hydroplaning. Therefore check your tyres, make sure you have a least 3mm tread, although 1.6mm is the legal tread depth. Good quality tyres actually last longer, but tread depth and otherwise. Still unsure what brand to buy, then you might want to consider Kumho tyres Dubai, Abu Dhabi. It’s a trusted brand, you might want to consider them. To ensure your tyres are in good shape you might want to dial a tyre, so as to get it checked.

What to do if your vehicle hydroplanes

It does happen, make sure you’re not on high speed as it’s easier to control in such a situation. Also don’t brake hard, this could upset the delicate balance. Don’t also turn sharply, just continue to steer in the direction you’d like to go. 

Finally, avoid cruise control when driving in wet conditions. This will avoid you a lot of control and leeway to make decisions as regards safeguarding your car.