Driving in the Rain

Driving in the Rain

Inflation, Communitisation, Football, Violence, Rains and Poetry are the themes that occupied my thoughts last week. I love football, even though it means loosing your sleep to know whether it’s Spain or Germany. Communitisation is the buzz word now with even the United Nations recommending it to be the model of Good Governance. I can hardly do anything about the prices and killings. So I think more about the rain and the poetry. Echoes of the Spring, collection of poems by the Krocha sisters – Agnes & Rita, made all of us think of the literary talents that is just around all of us. Their poetry, reflecting their thoughts and deep understanding of nature and society is meant to be read and comprehended by all of us. Infact, none other than Ruskin Bond, in his beautifully worded foreword, of the compilation, says that the sisters remind him of the Bronte sisters. I am sure Agnes and Rita, will, in the days to come, produce many more literary delights and will surely gain acclaim and appreciation, from the doyens of English Literature, much beyond the Bronte sisters.

The joy of enjoying poetry gets all the more with the gentle sound of rains all over. The rain drops falling on the CGI roofing makes us wonder of the marvels of the almighty who blesses us in this season. However, this year, it is more than rains. Infact it’s pouring. In Kohima, these rains, in no time, turns the streets and the roads, into puddles and one wonders whether the drains have come over on the roads or the roads have gone to the pits. Driving becomes a hazard and those on footpaths can never dream of worse times. Even highways become difficult to negotiate with landslides all over and mud on the roads making it slippery and risky to drive. One has to go beyond into the country side to enjoy the green meadows and sun playing with the clouds to really cherish the delights of the season. I love long drives in the rain.

Driving in the rains requires one to be lot more cautious. When the road is wet, the film of the water on the asphalt causes tires to lose traction. Another less obvious fact is that the rain reduces driver perception — it's harder to see through the rain — and also decreases visibility through its action on headlights, windshields and the road itself. While most people know to slow down in the rain, there are other tips like planning for more travel time that can help one to enjoy the drive rather than become a statistic. Along with this, one should brake earlier with less force than normally as it not only increases the stopping distance between you and the car in front of you, it also lets the driver behind you know that you're slowing down. Also, one should be more meticulous about using turn signals, so that other drivers know your intentions, and take turns and curves with less speed than you would in dry conditions.
If you see a large puddle up ahead, drive around it or choose a different route. It could be that it's covering a huge gaping maw into the front door of hell. If not, water splashing up into your car's engine compartment could damage its internal electrical systems. Also, a pothole may be hiding under the water, just waiting in ambush to damage a wheel or knock your suspension out of alignment. If you can't gauge the depth, or if it's covering up the side curb, try to avoid it.
There are many other tips which I have found from the literature available on the net and thought would share with the readers for everyone’s benefit.
Turn on your headlights, even when there's a light sprinkle. It helps you see the road, and more importantly, it helps other motorists see you. However, don't blast your high beams in the rain or fog — it'll obscure your view further, as the light will reflect back at you off the water droplets in the air. It’s a good idea to have fog lights, as it is always helpful to turn these on, as they throw a little extra light on the road while making your car easier to see.
Watch out for pedestrians. An ordinarily observant pedestrian may become distracted by fiddling with an umbrella or a rain coat. Plus, raindrops deaden sound, so the usual audio clues for measuring car distances become obscured. Keep a sharp lookout for people in the road.
If it's raining so hard that you can't see the road or the car in front of you, pull over and wait it out. If you can drive, Track the car ahead of you. Let the car ahead pave a clear path, so to speak, through the water. Then follow the car at a safe distance.
Give a truck or bus extra distance. Their extra-large tires can create enough spray to block your vision completely. Avoid passing one, but if you must pass, do it as quickly as safety allows.
Defog your windows. Rain will quickly cause your windshield to fog up. Switch on both front and rear defrosters and make sure the air conditioning is turned on.
If you start to hydroplane, don't brake suddenly or turn the wheel, or you might spin into a skid. Hydroplaning occurs when a layer of water builds between the rubber tires of your car and the road, leading to lack of traction and thus preventing the car from responding to control inputs such as steering, braking or accelerating. Release the accelerator pedal slowly and steer straight until the car regains traction. If you must brake, tap the brake pedal (unless you have antilock brakes, in which case you can put your foot down).
Now that you know how to drive in the rain, take some precautionary measures to ensure that your vehicle is prepared to get you through a downpour.
Stay on top of your car's condition. Its brakes, tire pressures, tire tread depth and defroster operation should be checked regularly so that you'll be ready to deal with a deluge when the time comes.
Most vehicles are available with antilock brakes these days, and safety features like traction control, stability control and four wheel drive are becoming increasingly popular as well. Four wheel drives are really useful in the hilly terrain and along with them traction and stability control can be very handy on rain-soaked roads. Traction control helps you maintain grip by putting the brakes on the tire(s) that don't have traction, while a stability control system monitors your steering input, intervening with the brakes and/or reducing engine power as needed to keep you on your intended path.
Make sure that your wipers are in good condition and functioning properly. If the blades are brittle or damaged, replace them before you're caught in a downpour.
Over and above, one should drive in heavy rain, only if it is a must. Or if you love adventure. Otherwise, Coffee, Snacks and Some Poetry is not a bad idea on a rainy afternoon!!!

Anyways, have a nice week ahead.

PS Views expressed above are entirely my personal. Readers can send their feedback to abhish18@gmail.com or by SMS to 9436434432.

Abhishek Singh