We spoke recently to S McAfee & Son, car sales and servicing, to get some advice for driving in wet conditions. We get our fair share of rain, so if you’re a motorist you will have to deal with driving on wet roads in Ballymena on a regular basis.
Here is some practical tips and advice to help keep us stay safer and better prepared for driving in the rain and on wet roads.
- Wipers – spray from other motorists will reduce your visibility. Make sure your wipers are in good working order and you have your window washer reservoir topped up regularly.
- Lights – it’s best to turn on your lights so it’s easier for other road users to see you.
- Braking – wet roads are more slippy than when dry. Keep your driving smooth and gentle when the road surface is wet, especially when cornering.
- Aquaplaning – this is definitely not a pleasant experience when driving! It happens when the tyres lose grip because of a layer of water between it and the road surface. The car skims over the water and makes it very difficult to stay in control. The best advice is to stay as calm as possible, keep a tight hold of the steering wheel and take your foot off the accelerator and let the car slow down.
- Deep water – if you have to drive through deeper water slow down to a crawl to avoid damaging your engine. Water can be taken in through the car’s air intake and if this occurs you could end up with an expensive repair bill.
McAfee Cars summed up their advice for driving in wet conditions by saying, “The key to driving in wet conditions is to take your time, keep your lights on and avoid big puddles if possible!”
We would like to thank Sarah at S McAfee & Son for their advice. Check out their website here for more useful articles and follow them on Facebook.
Obviously another major factor for safe wet weather driving is to have tyres with a good amount of tread on them. Ballymena Tyres on Warden Street will check your tyres for you and offer you a good selection of brands at various prices if you need any of them replaced. Go to their website here for directions or to contact them.
We hope you found these tips useful. Drive safe in and around Ballymena and please feel free to share this on your social media #sharetheconversation