With rain having lashed much of the UK over recent days, and with the Met Office predicting more to come, a leading road safety charity has issued a plea for drivers to follow some simple advice and stay safe on the wet roads.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists, which has over 90,000 members in the UK and Ireland, has published a series of tips devised by its policy and research division.
Firstly, the IAM is calling on drivers to familiarise themselves with their vehicle’s fast demist and directional controls rather than waiting for rainy conditions, when the windows can mist up in seconds and when it is important to be concentrating on the road ahead rather than fiddling with the controls.
It is important to see and be seen, so the IAM advise switching on your dipped headlights whenever the conditions necessitate turning on your wipers, and also to put your wipers on their fasting setting before overtaking.
Avoid harsh and sudden manoeuvres by keeping your eyes on the road ahead giving you the maximum time to plan any braking, accelerating, or steering. Stopping distances at least double in the wet, so watch your speed and give yourself more space to avoid spray.
Finally, the IAM advises against using cruise control on wet roads. In such conditions it is vital to pay more attention to the surface conditions and alter your speed accordingly and gently.
Click here to sign up for our monthly newsletter
Popular news stories
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||
|
|
||||||
