When driving during thunderstorms, you will face a few challenges; one of them is the grip and that the car tends to hydroplane and the challenge the wipers have to clear the windshield from water. Some of the measures to overcome these challenges are to do the following. Adjust your speed accordingly to have high-quality car tires that are designed to prevent hydroplaning. Then you need to have wiper blades that are in good condition so that they effectively remove the water from the windshield.
Hydroplaning is one of the primary reasons for accidents during thunderstorms, so this is a phenomenon that you need to be careful with. It happens when the tires lose contact with the road surface, as it cannot push away the water present on the road surface. Unique designs in the tread have improved how water is channeled out through the thread and to the sides and how the tread can hold water while remaining in contact. Another new innovation is the polished grooves, which reduce the friction and increases the water flow within the grooves. The water flow is heavily dependent on the size of the grooves, so worn-out tires perform substantially worse when it comes to hydroplaning.
When you experience hydroplaning, the tires lose its contact and will start gliding on the water film created between the tire and the road. This leaves the vehicle without any control, as you lose the friction of the tires against the road, and you are now just floating on water. It is when this happens accidents can occur. People panic when they lose control and start turning the steering wheel, so when they regain contact again, the sudden change of direction due to steering when movements.
The braking distance is also prolonged on wet surfaces, and the risk for hydroplaning increases, as the tire is not rotating fast, so you need to take this into account when you drive, so keeping your distance from the vehicles in front of you. You should always manage your speed according to the circumstances, and heavy rain is not the best condition for driving, so the speed should be adjusted accordingly. Reducing the speeds is also the best way to get out of hydroplaning, and it tends to be a bit self-regulating as you lose momentum as you hydroplane, and it will continue until the tires regain contact.
Good ways to avoid it is to purchase good quality all-season tires or all-weather tires that have good hydroplaning properties by introducing a lot of preventive design into the tread. You should also adjust the speed according to the rain’s intensity and how much water has amassed on the road. Roads with inadequate drainage have a higher frequency of hydroplaning. So on these roads, you need to drive even slower. As long as you can avoid hydroplaning and consider the longer braking distance, it can be pretty relaxing to drive in the rain.
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