Tips for Safe Driving in Rainy Weather
Driving in the rain may be one of the things preferred by many people who wait for the rain expectantly every season and are eager to hear the sound of drops touching the windshield of the car in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. However, do not let the rain's aesthetic fool you! Rain is one of the most important causes of traffic accidents resulting from slips, which pose a real danger to motorists in these circumstances, and if it occurs, it may lead to huge losses and terrifying traffic accidents. Below is weather-related accident data collected by Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and published in annual book under the title "Weather as a Road Safety Hazard in Malaysia"—An Overview, January 2009.
Overview of Weather Information in PDRM’s Record
| Year | Total investigated accidents | Total investigated accident with recorded weather condition | Percentage investigated accident with recorded Weather condition (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 215632 | 16881 | 7.83 |
| 1998 | 211037 | 8891 | 4.21 |
| 1999 | 223166 | 12281 | 5.50 |
| 2000 | 250417 | 13811 | 5.52 |
| 2001 | 265175 | 11928 | 4.50 |
| 2002 | 279237 | 11678 | 4.18 |
| 2003 | 298651 | 10271 | 3.44 |
| 2004 | 326815 | 12904 | 3.95 |
| 2005 | 328268 | 25002 | 7.62 |
| 2006 | 341252 | 27826 | 8.15 |
| 2007 | 315973 | 27593 | 8.73 |
After sorting out the data, the total number of accidents that are having weather records is further reduced to 97 856. It is also to keep in mind that this figure is merely 3% of approximately 3 million reported and investigated accidents in the 11-year period.
Number of Road Accidents According to Weather Condition
| Weather | Total Accidents | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | 88875 | 90.82 |
| Windy | 306 | 0.31 |
| Foggy | 1705 | 1.74 |
| Rain | 6970 | 7.12 |
| Total | 97856 | 100.00 |
Number of Road Accidents According to Weather Condition
| Weather | Total Accidents | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | 26919 | 72.92 |
| Rain | 9809 | 26.57 |
| Windy | 87 | 0.24 |
| Foggy/Haze | 102 | 0.28 |
| Total | 36917 | 100.00 |
It can be seen that the biggest number of the road accidents happened in fine weather and followed by rain, foggy and windy condition. It should be taken into account that these presented data are 15 years older. The number of cars was not that high as it is now. The number of vehicles in the country has overtaken the human population, with an increase of at least a million vehicles annually since 2019. Last year, there were 33.3 million registered vehicles nationwide versus the human population, which stood at 32.6 million, according to road safety expert Professor Dr. Kulanthayan K.C. Mani affiliated with University Putra Malaysia. With the vehicle population growing rapidly compared to the human population, it is no wonder that traffic congestion is getting worse nationwide in recent months, he said. (Vehicles outnumber people in Malaysia, by Dawn Chan - June 9, 2022 New Strait times).
Therefore, those wishing to drive in the rain must adhere to some basic principles that would save their lives. In this article, we present some important tips when driving during rain, to serve as a guide for your protection in these weather conditions.
Wait for improved weather conditions
Before anything else, our first advice about driving in the rain is to determine whether the reason for leaving the house is necessary or not. If not, there is no need to expose yourself to the risk of slipping or obscuring vision that could lead to serious traffic accidents while driving.
Avoid fast driving
Driving at high speeds is one of the most important causes of traffic accidents in all circumstances, let alone when driving during heavy rain at high speeds! As we all know that in cases of excessive speed, the car becomes easily affected by external factors, and this will certainly lead to catastrophic results. Therefore, the driver is not only required to adhere to the speed limit, but also to drive at a lower speed than what is permitted in normal weather conditions, in order to avoid any risks as a result of excessive driving speed.
Check the condition of the car
Drivers must check the condition of some parts of the car before driving in the rain, because it has a direct impact on the performance of the car, and it plays an important role in the safety of the vehicle and its driver. Check the car wipers because it they stop function properly while driving in rain, it will become almost impossible for the driver to see outside the car. The types of wipers differ, and their quality must always be considered before their price. The driver should inspect the car tires and make sure that there is no wearing down or corrosion on them. As this will lead to a decrease in gripping and reasoning in the possibility of slipping on the roads. Finally, you must ensure that the headlights and taillights of the car are working, because they play an important role in the driver's vision. It should be noted that if there is any defect in one of the three previously mentioned parts, this will lead to major problems, so regular maintenance of the car must be carried out when the rainy season begins.
Maintain a safe distance between cars
As we mentioned earlier, rain can cause many slips for the vehicle while it is on the road, and the driver will have difficulty reducing the speed of his vehicle if he wants to stop it by using the brakes all of sudden. It is possible for the vehicle to slip and collide with another vehicle in front of it or any other object nearby, so the safe distance must be maintained when driving in the rain to avoid any collision between the vehicles and the object in front of it.
Avoid driving in lower areas and valleys
Lower areas and valleys form a suitable environment for flashfloods that may subject the car to a huge traction force that can pull the car off its track causing catastrophic damage to the vehicle and its driver. Therefore, traffic and driving in low places and valleys should be avoided as much as possible, because driving in the rain in such places may pose a threat to the driver's life.
Beware of puddles of water
Heavy rains may cause blockages in the sewage streams and sewerage line, which leads to a large accumulation of water in some areas to become more like small puddles or ponds. If the driver encounters such water puddles, he must avoid driving in such pools of water; otherwise, it may cause water to reach the spark plugs in the car. Moreover, if this actually happens, the car will stop running immediately and the engine will not start until after seeking the assistance of a mechanic and acquiring the necessary maintenance, so driving in water pools and flashfloods should be avoided as much as possible.
Vehicle ventilation
The humidity level rises dramatically during rainy season, which may sometimes cause an unpleasant odor inside the car cabin. So the car must be ventilated continuously to avoid the formation of moisture. In addition, ventilation helps to get rid of the condensation that appears on the car’s windshield and windows which interrupts the driver's vision, and in any case, most modern cars include ventilation systems that work to get rid of the condensation that appears on the interior areas of the windows and windshield.
Conclusion
In the light of above-mentioned data stats, from the overview of local weather profile on all the above-mentioned weather factors, rainfall can be judged as the major issue based on primarily the amount of rainfall that Malaysia receives each year and the rate of frequency of rain in terms of days, annually. Rainfall does not only become a danger and risk to the moving traffic, but also bring long-term longevity issues to the automobile and road structure.
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About the Author
Dr. Hafiz Abbas holds a PhD in Usuluddin from Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS), Malaysia. He is well versed with Islamic theology, Seerat-un-Nabi (SAW), and principles of Hadith. In addition, he is a teacher of Arabic.
Edited by: Ch. Mahmood Anwar
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