The Rainy Season Arrives, These Tips For Driving On Slippery Roads Safely

Driving in the rain does require extra vigilance. In addition to decreased visibility, vehicles are also prone to slippage due to slippery road conditions. In the following article, we will inform you tips on driving on slippery roads so that your trip can stay safe until the destination.

The rainy season is here! Over the past few days, heavy rains have also continued to pour down on many parts of Indonesia. This condition is certainly a concern for motor vehicle drivers because the asphalt roads that are poured by rain become more slippery.

Please note that every day the asphalt road is traversed by a variety of vehicles ranging from buses, trucks, cars, or motorcycles. When passing through these roads, vehicles may drip oil or grease and settle in them. Well, when the rain starts to wet the asphalt road, a layer of oil or oil will lift up and cover the asphalt surface, making the wet road more slippery. Therefore, motorists must be extra careful because the car risks slippage when passing on slippery roads.

Tips for Driving on Slippery Roads

1. Make sure the car tires are not in a bare condition

Tires play a very important role when you go through slippery roads. Therefore, the first slippery road driving tips we mentioned is to make sure that the tires of the car are not in a bare condition.

Tires that are worn or bare do not have thick grooves or patterns so they do not have good grip. This will certainly be very dangerous if car tires are used to cross the fast lane, especially in wet conditions.

In addition, bare tires are also dangerous when used for maneuvering. Because the tires do not have a strong grip, they cannot be used to turn perfectly. Even the car is also at risk of slipping when used for maneuvering.

2. Check the air pressure on the tires

In addition to making sure you don't use worn tires, it is also necessary to check the air pressure on the tires so that you can drive safely on slippery roads. Make sure that the car tires have normal air pressure because the high pressure will make the tires hard. This will make the tires become flat so that their grip will be reduced.

3. Do not spur the vehicle at high speeds

Driving vehicles at high speeds when passing puddles on the road can cause aquaplaning. Broadly speaking, aquaplaning is a condition in which car tires lose grip because the tires cannot split stagnant water on the road. If this happens, then the car can also risk slipping.

Therefore, when the rain arrives then you have to lower the speed of the vehicle. Step gently on the accelerator so that you can still control the car properly. Please be aware that the minimum limit when driving on slippery and rainy roads is about 30 km per hour and the maximum reaches 60 km per hour

4. Turn off the cruise control feature

If your car has a cruise control or speed control feature, then you should open it when driving on slippery or wet roads. Cruise control is a technology that functions to adjust the engine speed so that it can remain stable without the need for a gas pedal footing. The feature will maintain speed so that it can risk causing aquaplaning when the car passes through slippery roads with puddles on it. Therefore, so that you can control the speed of the vehicle according to road conditions, you should not use this feature.

5. Turn on the headlights

When driving on slippery roads, it is recommended that you still rely on the headlights. This needs to be done considering that visibility during rain will also decrease. By turning on the headlights, visibility will increase.

Some people often turn on their hazard lights when driving in rainy conditions. This should be avoided because the function of hazard lights is to provide danger signs not for lighting. In addition, turning on the hazard lights can also make other drivers confused because the turn signal is closed by the hazard light.

6. Master the steering wheel well

The next tip for driving on slippery roads is to master the steering wheel well. When the road is slippery, the direction of the car sometimes becomes difficult to control. Therefore, you need to focus on mastering the steering wheel of the car.

If you feel that the tires of the car are starting to slip or lose their grip, then you need to master the steering wheel to keep it straight ahead. In addition, do not step on the brakes and turn the steering wheel quickly or suddenly because this can actually make the car at risk of slipping. But if braking does have to be done, then you need to do it slowly and smoothly.

7. Keep a safe distance

Keeping a safe distance with other vehicles should also be done when you are driving on slippery roads. This is mandatory because the braking distance of the car can become longer when walking on slippery asphalt. In addition, rainy conditions can also make visibility decrease, making car drivers sometimes unprepared when braking is needed.

On dry asphalt roads, the safe distance of the vehicle is 3 seconds. However, for a safe distance in slippery road conditions and rain, it is about 4 to 5 seconds. How to calculate it, first determine a static benchmark such as a tree. After that, pay attention to the car in front of you, for a moment the car passes through the tree, then you start calculating how many seconds it will take for your car to get to the benchmark of the tree.

If the car crosses it with 4 seconds, then your car is safe. But if it is less than 4 seconds, then you need to widen the distance.

When driving on slippery roads, drivers do have to be careful and stay focused. In addition, the car must also have excellent performance so that it can run well in various road conditions. Therefore, do regular service to ensure that all car components can function as they should.