Tips to help you drive in the pouring rain, in bright sunlight, and at night.

March has come and with it the glorious promise of many public holidays and long weekends. Many of you will be heading away to enjoy some time off, but given that the weather has been more unpredictable than ever, it can be hard to know if you’re steeling yourself for a rain-soaked journey or a trip into sunlight so bright you can scarcely see out your windshield…

That’s why it’s better to be prepared for both with these essential driving tips to help you navigate safely through wet, sunshine, and even the night skies.

Tips for driving in the rain.

1. Reduce your speed: This helps prevent aquaplaning (hydroplaning), which is when your tyres skid or slide across a wet surface. Slowing down also gives you time to become more aware of what’s happening around you so you have time to respond appropriately.
2. Give other cars space: More space means that you have more room to respond to what’s happening ahead of you, so leave a generous car space between yourself and the driver in front of you.
3. Turn on your lights: While your lights might not help you see further ahead in a particularly heavy downpour, they do make you more visible to others.
4. Turn off cruise control: This modern feature could cause you to lose control on slick surfaces, for example if you aquaplane while in cruise control, your car will go faster.

Tips for driving in bright light.

1. Move dashboard clutter: Sunlight is a tricky beast which will reflect off of any item available, so keep your dashboard clear of clutter.
2. Add secondary visors: Your car comes fitted with standard sun visors to block sunlight, but it’s worth buying an adjustable visor to fill the gaps not covered by your main visor.
3. Clean your windshield: Dirt on the outside and inside of your windshield causes sunlight to refract and scatter, intensifying the glare, so during your stops make sure to clean your windshield.
4. Polarised sunglasses: These will protect your eyes from harmful UV rays and reduce bright rays reaching your vision.

Tips for driving at night.

1. Direct your headlights: Sometimes your car’s factory fitted lights are uneven or pointed lower or higher than necessary, so use your owner’s manual to realign them or get them pointing in the correct position. You can also go to the dealership or garage and ask them to do it for you.
2. Don’t stare at oncoming lights: Bright lights can dazzle and distract you, so turn your eyes away from oncoming lights on the road. You can even switch your rearview mirror to reflect light away if a car behind has its brights on, which can be quite blinding to some.
3. Wipe the inside of your windshield: Use a cotton or microfiber cloth to wipe streaks, smudges, or mist from the inside of your windshield. If you don’t have this kind of cloth, then newspaper is a fine replacement. Just don’t use your hands, because your skin contains oils which will smear your windshield and cause glare.

At the end of the day, we want you to be safe and sound on the road. And if things go wrong, that’s where your insurance will step in to help you deal with the situation. If you don’t have cover or if you’re not sure that you have the right cover, chat to an insurer like King Price. King Price offers comprehensive car insurance that comes with award-winning service, roadside assist services, and decreasing premiums so that your insurance gets less every month.

Get a quote online, call their sales team on 0860 50 50 50, or pop them an email at king@kingprice.co.za and see how they can help you.

Safe Driving in Bad Weather – Adjust Speed, Following Distance and Driving https://t.co/17EhoOKmp1 #ArriveAlive @ReenvalSA @peoples_weather pic.twitter.com/3XCixD8uKF

— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) March 16, 2018