The winter is gone, spring is here. But this doesn’t mean that the situation is any easier for car drivers. The spring also has its own complicating factors.
Why is spring driving dangerous?
- Spring rain brings slippery road conditions. It reduces the car’s handling and increases the stopping distance (can be up to 4 times of the normal)
- Heavy rains may cause floods. If the road is flooded, don’t try to cross, look for another road instead.
- Sudden temperature increase can cause hails. It’s very dangerous for road users, so be careful.
- In good weather the animal activity will be higher. Pay attention to the road signs. The larger animals can be especially dangerous.
- Bikers and cyclists will be more active too. They often don’t care for the road rules which can be a hazard too.
- Thanks to the good weather the children often go out to the streets. Drive slowly around the school and pay more attention than usual.
- In rainy regions a large amount of gravel might be on roads. In such cases, drive carefully, don’t reckless. We can maintain the control with smooth steering.
How can we prepare for safe spring driving?
- Check the lights – In rainy weather the visibility reduces, so it’s important that all lights work properly on the vehicle (front, rear, indicators, fog lights, reverse/braking lights.)
- Replace the wipers – if the wipers are worn out, replace them.
- Check the tire pressure – the grim winter weather indisposes the tires. The worn tires increase the risk of drifting. Before we go on the road, we need to make sure that the tire pressure is correct. As long as the temperature does not remain above 7 degrees, don’t replace your winter tires.
- Drive carefully – consecutive rainy days make the road very slippery.
- Pay attention to the animals – they are mainly active in the morning and in the evening.
- Keep a longer following distance – under normal conditions the ideal (and safe) follow-up time is estimated at 3 seconds. But depending on weather conditions it can change significantly.
- Pay attention to the potholes – the snow and ice can cause potholes on the road. If you can, avoid them. Don’t brake into it. If we brake, the edge of the tires hit the pothole with bigger force.
