Motorists warned: wet weather dangerous
With the province’s wet winter in full swing, ER24 paramedics reported attending to increasing incidents of preventable motor vehicle collisions associated with driving in wet and rainy conditions.
ER24 would like to advise drivers to be extra cautious and observant of other vehicles and road surface conditions. Check the condition of the vehicle’s wear and tear parts, especially those designed to assist the driver in rainy conditions.
While modern vehicle technology can improve how a vehicle adapts to different conditions, driver negligence may still result in serious collisions.
ER24 has found that most wet weather collisions are frontal impacts caused by delayed braking or an inadequate following distance.
The second highest cause of such collisions is total loss of control over the vehicle during high speed.
Drivers are advised to consider the following precautions when faced with severe rain and wet roads:
Vehicle related safety checks
- Ensure that wiper blades and the windshield surface are in good condition.
- Vehicles tires should also be checked to ensure adequate tread to allow water to escape between the tires’ rubber and road surface, thus allowing the wheels to grip to the road.
- Remember to turn on headlights to increase visibility in poor lighting conditions.
Adaptive driving in wet weather conditions
A 2007 study by the UK Transport Research Laboratory indicated that a vehicle’s stopping distance increases dramatically when driving on a wet surface. In dry weather conditions, an average sedan traveling at 60km/h moves for a distance of 32.4m before coming to a complete halt after the brakes are applied. On a wet road surface, a similar vehicle’s stopping distance increases to 48.5m. The increase in distance is caused by the effect of skidding on a wet surface.
Both of the above distances were measured, allowing an alert driver a total reaction time of 11m to apply brakes. Considering that visibility in rainy conditions can be decreased dramatically, drivers are advised to increase their following distance by at least 10 meters.
Source: The Knysna-Plett Herald