Features of driving in adverse road conditions
Driving a car in the rain, in heavy fog or snow requires special skills from the driver, due to reduced grip on the road surface and reduced visibility. Keep your vehicle in good technical condition at all times. Take extra care when traveling in bad weather. Avoid using the tempostat in adverse weather conditions.
Slow down and drive more slowly than you normally would in normal weather conditions on dry pavement. Be aware that the vehicle's response to steering will be sluggish and slow, even if the road surface looks only slightly wet. Try to act on all the controls of the car smoothly. On wet and slippery road surfaces, a sharp jerk of the steering wheel or careless depressing of the brake pedal can lead to loss of control. At the beginning of the trip, not yet fully adapted to adverse weather conditions, exercise increased caution. This rule is especially useful to observe when driving during a snowfall.
It should be remembered that when operating a car in the warm season, many useful skills of driving a car on a slippery road surface are forgotten, which requires some time to restore them.
Be especially careful when driving in the rain, as lack of practice during the dry period does not allow you to quickly readjust and adapt the style of the bridle to new conditions.
Note. After a long dry period, the first rains make the pavement particularly slippery.
Review
For road safety in all weather conditions, it is very important to have good visibility in all directions. Also make sure that your car remains clearly visible to drivers of other vehicles - remember that when driving on the highway, turning on the low beam will never hurt even during daylight hours. These requirements are more difficult to meet in adverse weather conditions.
Regularly check the condition of the wiper blade and windshield washer nozzle. Maintain the correct fluid level in the washer fluid reservoir at all times. Top up the reservoir only with liquids of recommended grades. Monitor the condition of the working elements of the windshield wipers, replace them as soon as the brushes no longer clean the glass properly. To prevent moisture condensation on the inner surface of the windows, blow the windows with air, if necessary, turn on the air conditioner.
Tire grip on the road surface
Check tire inflation pressure and wear regularly (pattern depth) their protectors. Both of these factors are extremely important in terms of good tire grip and preventing hydroplaning, that is, a sharp decrease in traction when entering puddles. Use studded/special winter tires for better vehicle handling and driving safety during the winter season.
While driving, constantly watch for changes in road conditions, which are often very unstable. The presence of wet leaves on the road may not be as dangerous as icy conditions. Often, a seemingly clean and dry road surface can become iced in patches. Particularly dangerous conditions develop at air temperatures around 0°C, when puddles can alternate with ice, which makes the car's behavior especially unpredictable.
Be careful when downshifting an automatic transmission. On slippery surfaces, a sharp downshift can lead to a short-term slip of the drive wheels and a skid of the car
Special care and attention are required from the driver when overtaking. Equally, care must be taken when overtaking your vehicle by other vehicles. Splashes of water and mud from under the wheels of an overtaken truck can drastically reduce visibility through the windshield. A gust of crosswind while overtaking a truck or bus can cause loss of control.