With our changing weather patterns, the rains can come at any time and drivers usually find it hard to drive when that happens.

This is one of the factors that cause road accidents and it is very necessary to address this issue and find ways to prevent road accident during a rainy weather.

As part of Joy FM’s Drive safe campaign to fight road accidents, these are some key measures every driver should be aware of when driving in the rains.

• Wiper blades must be soft and must be able to clean so well. They must be changed at least every three months.

In the case where you do not have a very good view of the road it is advisable to park the car until you can see the road clearly.

• The tires of car must in good shape. Thread limit must not be less than 1.6 mm because in driving we have something called aquaplaning.

Water must ooze out in-between the threads and then the tire must always be dry so that its contacts can have a breaking effect on the road depending on the type of road, because when it is asphalt it is much better.  

• Take your time whiles driving. Naturally when you drive in the rain the road becomes slippery.

The riskiest part of the rain is that, when it is drizzling it is rather very dangerous because the roads become very slippery.

Do not rush to your destination, that is why it is usually advisable to be patient and wait for the rains to be down before you move the vehicle.

If the rain is very heavy and you are driving, you will never know which tree is going to break down.

• Turn your headlights on to be visible to other drivers. Never drive with the parking lights because they are meant for parking.

It is wrong to drive with parking lights when it is raining or even at night. The range of the headlights should be 40 meters.

• Keep a firm grip on the steering wheel when driving in the rain. You would need a lot of concentration when driving in the rain.

Radio must be off to listen to the sound of your vehicle. Give yourself more space, meaning that you add either one or two extra seconds of concentration because you may never know what is ahead of you.

Keep in mind that there is a vehicle ahead of you and so you must drive at a slow speed.

Other measures to consider when driving in the rain;

Never drive in floods because it is so tricky. Don’t think you have a 4x4 vehicle and so you can go through. When it is raining it is always dangerous to drive when you see deep water.

Tap breaks for a while when driving in the rain to make sure the brake disc is dry and to also warn other vehicles driving behind you.