[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/tips-for-driving-in-the-rain\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/tips-for-driving-in-the-rain\/","headline":"Tips For Driving In The Rain","name":"Tips For Driving In The Rain","description":"Professional tips for driving in the wet and the rain from a leading driving education provider It\u2019s clear that not every driver on the road knows how to drive in the rain, so now the professionals are getting involved to tell us the \u2018proper\u2019 way of doing things! These driving behaviours may be considered common sense to some but not to all. IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) Roadsmart is the largest independent road safety charity in the UK and has […]","datePublished":"2019-10-28","dateModified":"2019-10-28","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Tips-For-Driving-In-The-Rain-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Tips-For-Driving-In-The-Rain-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/tips-for-driving-in-the-rain\/","about":["BLOG","Cars","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":828,"keywords":["driving in rain","rain","wet weather"],"articleBody":"Professional tips for driving in the wet and the rain from a leading driving education providerIt\u2019s clear that not every driver on the roadknows how to drive in the rain, so now the professionals are getting involvedto tell us the \u2018proper\u2019 way of doing things! These driving behaviours may beconsidered common sense to some but not to all. IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists)Roadsmart is the largest independent road safety charity in the UK and has beenmaking roads safer through training courses and education since 1956. Here are some tips from IAM Roadsmart\u2019s very own Richard Gladman, the organisation\u2019s head of driving and riding standards:Keep a 4-second distance to the car in front In the dry, the DVLA recommends keeping adistance of 2 seconds between your vehicle and the vehicle in front. In wetconditions, especially when it\u2019s raining, the DVLA recommends keeping adistance of 4 seconds and Gladman agrees. When driving on ice, IAM Roadsmartrecommend keeping a distance of up to 10 times the amount you normally would indry conditions, meaning up to 20 seconds! Make sure your wipers are effective \u201cYour windscreen should be clean, wipers effective and the jets positioned correctly and aimed at the screen\u201d Gladman explains. Inefficient wipers can be a serious danger in heavy downpours as you could be left driving blind. Poor visibility paired with poor grip is a recipe for disaster.If wipers are on, headlights should be tooAccording to Gladman, your headlights should be on if your wipers are. As in the point mentioned above, visibility can be an issue when it\u2019s raining and even if you can see fine, other drivers may not be able to. Having your headlights on greatly increases how visible you are to other road users, meaning that they\u2019re less likely to crash into you!Don\u2019t panic if you aquaplane \u201cAquaplaning is where a wedge of water formsin front of the tyre and lifts it up off the road surface.\u201d explains Gladman.To successfully recover from aquaplaning, do not make quick and drasticsteering motions or stamp on the brakes. Instead, try to calmly ease off theaccelerator and firmly grip the wheel to allow the car to regain its gripnaturally. Avoid floods of over 6 inches Floods happen and sometimes cannot be avoided. That being said, the first thing you should do is consider an alternative route and think about if you can go a different way. If you can\u2019t, IAM Roadsmart recommends not driving through floods that are more than 6 inches deep.Think about what has caused the flood IAM Roadsmart also recommends to consider whatcaused the flood. If the flood has not occurred due to the rain then perhaps itwas caused by a burst water main. This can be more dangerous as the roadsurface below the flood could be covered in debris or even completely broken.Are similar vehicles driving through the flood without an issue? A tip you may not have thought of before is to look at the vehicles going through the flood. If only large SUVs are braving it and you\u2019re riding in a saloon, perhaps give it a miss.Avoid fast-flowing water at all costs A lot of floods can be navigated with cautionbut IAM Roadsmart labels floods with fast-flowing water an absolute no-go. Evenif the water flow doesn\u2019t look particularly powerful, it could still be morethan enough needed to sweep your car off its feet. Drive slowly through floods and dry your brakes after If you do decide to drive through a floodedroad, be sure to do it very slowly and with extreme caution. You may be temptedto drive full-throttle through the water but this is never a good method as theengine will likely be flooded with water and your tyres will lose contact withthe road. IAM Roadsmart recommends to stay at a constant slow speed and once out of the flood, be sure to test your brakes to make sure they are working, dry and nothing is caught in them.Modern saloons should avoid floods According to IAM Roadsmart, modern saloonsshould avoid floods as a lot of them have air intakes in the wheel arch whichwill allow water to pass into the engine with ease. Many luxury saloons arealso quite low to the ground which makes them even less suited for flooding. Splashing pedestrians could result with points on your license Even if it\u2019s accidental, a splashed pedestrianhas the power to report you to the authorities and land you a fine and 3 pointson your license for driving without due care and attention. If donedeliberately it could be a public order offence, requiring a court appearanceand a fine.Be safe out there!If you enjoyed this, you may also like to read our article on Jeep\u2019s awful crash safety scores."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Tips For Driving In The Rain","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/tips-for-driving-in-the-rain\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]