How Drivers Encounters Adverse Conditions
While driving, there are many situations that arise where drivers encounter adverse conditions. These conditions can cause driving to be more much difficult. However, knowing the right information and the ways to handle these situations can help drivers successfully maneuver the roads.
Glare is an adverse road condition that’s encountered often. Especially just after sunrise and sunset, the sun can shine directly in a driver’s eyes, making is very difficult for them to see. When dealing with sun glare, it’s important to slow down and use extra caution, especially while in school zones. Protect yourself by investing in polarized sunglasses, using your sun visor, leaving extra following room between you and the car ahead of you, and driving with your headlights on. You should also make sure to keep your windshield clean and check it for cracks. If you’re having a difficult time seeing the road, you can use the lane markings to help guide you.
Fog is another major obstacle. It can sometimes obstruct your view of things until the very last moment, when it’s too late to take action. When driving in fog, make sure to slow down and turn on your low beam headlights. Also, make sure to avoid sudden stops. In severe fog, turning on your emergency flashers may help increase your visibility to other drivers.
Driving in heavy rain can also be very …show more content…
dangerous. According to The National Weather Service, more than half of flood fatalities are vehicle related. Make sure that your windshield and windows are clean, so lack of visibility is less of an issue. Also, make sure that all of your car’s lights are working. This will ensure that cars will be able to see you more easily in the heavy rain. Contrary to popular belief, turning on your brights will not aid in visibility. The bright light will bounce off of wet surfaces and into your eyes. It is recommended that you leave a 5 second following distance between you and the car ahead of you. Lastly, if water is covering the markings on the road, it's unsafe to drive through it.
Another dangerous road condition to watch out for is icy roads. Icyroadsafety.com states that the number one tip for driving on icy roads is to slow down. Their website states that you should never be driving above 45 mph on an icy road. A huge factor in crashes caused by icy roads is a driver’s overconfidence in their skill and their car’s equipment. If you start sliding on an icy road, turn your wheel toward the direction that the back of the car is sliding in in order to correct your road position. Snow is another dangerous weather condition to drive in. When driving in snow, make sure to accelerate and decelerate slowly. This is necessary to improve traction and prevent skids. Another tip is to drive in the tracks of the person in front of you. The tracks are drier than the rest of the road and will there therefore increase traction. It’s also important to increase your following distance to anywhere from 8-10 seconds. This provides extra room in case you need to stop suddenly. There may be times when your vehicle gets stuck in snow. When this happens, first check your tailpipe for any built up snow to stop any deadly gases from building up in your car. Then, break away the ice around the tires and try your best to remove any loose snow or small lumps of snow. If you have a shovel, then begin to dig a path that your car can drive through to escape. Usually in these situations, the wheels are spinning and have little friction/force. Try stepping on the brakes a little to decrease the spinning, but don’t overdo it because the brakes might overheat. You can also find something and lay it in front of the front wheels for traction or sprinkle salt, sand, or even cat litter in front of the tires. They will melt the snow and also provide traction. Also try to straighten the wheels and use low gear when you try to pull out. Try to rock the car back and forth by shifting quickly between forward and reverse. Some equipments that can help would be a jack or trac grabbers. However, there are many different ways your car can get stuck in snow. If your car is basically covered in snow and you can not access your vehicle, it is best to leave your car as is. Another dangerous situation drivers might get into is hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning is when the a layer of water builds between the wheels and the road causing the loss of control due to less traction. Hydroplaning usually occurs because of cars going at a high speed during wet road conditions. Avoid sudden accelerations and reduce speeds if you are hydroplaning. Never use the cruise control when it is raining. If you are hydroplaning, then immediately take your foot off the accelerator, realign your tires in the direction your car is moving to help gain back steering control, and wait to feel the tires touch the road surface
again. Something that can help drivers when driving in slippery conditions is the anti-lock braking system. It helps you stop faster and lets you steer when you stop. There are different ABS types. The four channel and four sensor ABS is when there’s a sensor and a valve (channel) on all wheels to help each wheel achieve maximum braking force. The three channel three sensor ABS commonly found on pickup trucks and then there’s the one channel one sensor ABS. When there’s a need to use ABS, just step on the brake pedal firmly. Another situation that drivers are usually in is driving in extremely hot weather. When summer is approaching, make sure to check your car’s fluids. Make sure to have enough of coolant, motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power-steering fluid, and windshield wiper fluid. Also check your belts and hoses because extreme heat can cause it to crack or blister. Take a look at your battery and tire pressure. Lastly, make sure your car’s air conditioning is working properly. There’s also another driving condition that many drivers experience, which is driving in high/strong winds. When driving in this condition, keep your eyes open for fallen trees, things that can blow in your path of travel, wavering objects around you, and look out for vehicles that don’t seem stable. Drive slower than normal and if there are large vehicles around you, give them extra space. When driving in side winds (winds that can blow you off course), drive slower and make slow and gentle steering moves. In all these conditions, make sure to know what you should do. Always be prepared for any situation you may face when driving by knowing the right information and having things in your car that will help you in these conditions.
Glare is an adverse road condition that’s encountered often. Especially just after sunrise and sunset, the sun can shine directly in a driver’s eyes, making is very difficult for them to see. When dealing with sun glare, it’s important to slow down and use extra caution, especially while in school zones. Protect yourself by investing in polarized sunglasses, using your sun visor, leaving extra following room between you and the car ahead of you, and driving with your headlights on. You should also make sure to keep your windshield clean and check it for cracks. If you’re having a difficult time seeing the road, you can use the lane markings to help guide you.
Fog is another major obstacle. It can sometimes obstruct your view of things until the very last moment, when it’s too late to take action. When driving in fog, make sure to slow down and turn on your low beam headlights. Also, make sure to avoid sudden stops. In severe fog, turning on your emergency flashers may help increase your visibility to other drivers.
Driving in heavy rain can also be very …show more content…
dangerous. According to The National Weather Service, more than half of flood fatalities are vehicle related. Make sure that your windshield and windows are clean, so lack of visibility is less of an issue. Also, make sure that all of your car’s lights are working. This will ensure that cars will be able to see you more easily in the heavy rain. Contrary to popular belief, turning on your brights will not aid in visibility. The bright light will bounce off of wet surfaces and into your eyes. It is recommended that you leave a 5 second following distance between you and the car ahead of you. Lastly, if water is covering the markings on the road, it's unsafe to drive through it.
Another dangerous road condition to watch out for is icy roads. Icyroadsafety.com states that the number one tip for driving on icy roads is to slow down. Their website states that you should never be driving above 45 mph on an icy road. A huge factor in crashes caused by icy roads is a driver’s overconfidence in their skill and their car’s equipment. If you start sliding on an icy road, turn your wheel toward the direction that the back of the car is sliding in in order to correct your road position. Snow is another dangerous weather condition to drive in. When driving in snow, make sure to accelerate and decelerate slowly. This is necessary to improve traction and prevent skids. Another tip is to drive in the tracks of the person in front of you. The tracks are drier than the rest of the road and will there therefore increase traction. It’s also important to increase your following distance to anywhere from 8-10 seconds. This provides extra room in case you need to stop suddenly. There may be times when your vehicle gets stuck in snow. When this happens, first check your tailpipe for any built up snow to stop any deadly gases from building up in your car. Then, break away the ice around the tires and try your best to remove any loose snow or small lumps of snow. If you have a shovel, then begin to dig a path that your car can drive through to escape. Usually in these situations, the wheels are spinning and have little friction/force. Try stepping on the brakes a little to decrease the spinning, but don’t overdo it because the brakes might overheat. You can also find something and lay it in front of the front wheels for traction or sprinkle salt, sand, or even cat litter in front of the tires. They will melt the snow and also provide traction. Also try to straighten the wheels and use low gear when you try to pull out. Try to rock the car back and forth by shifting quickly between forward and reverse. Some equipments that can help would be a jack or trac grabbers. However, there are many different ways your car can get stuck in snow. If your car is basically covered in snow and you can not access your vehicle, it is best to leave your car as is. Another dangerous situation drivers might get into is hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning is when the a layer of water builds between the wheels and the road causing the loss of control due to less traction. Hydroplaning usually occurs because of cars going at a high speed during wet road conditions. Avoid sudden accelerations and reduce speeds if you are hydroplaning. Never use the cruise control when it is raining. If you are hydroplaning, then immediately take your foot off the accelerator, realign your tires in the direction your car is moving to help gain back steering control, and wait to feel the tires touch the road surface
again. Something that can help drivers when driving in slippery conditions is the anti-lock braking system. It helps you stop faster and lets you steer when you stop. There are different ABS types. The four channel and four sensor ABS is when there’s a sensor and a valve (channel) on all wheels to help each wheel achieve maximum braking force. The three channel three sensor ABS commonly found on pickup trucks and then there’s the one channel one sensor ABS. When there’s a need to use ABS, just step on the brake pedal firmly. Another situation that drivers are usually in is driving in extremely hot weather. When summer is approaching, make sure to check your car’s fluids. Make sure to have enough of coolant, motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power-steering fluid, and windshield wiper fluid. Also check your belts and hoses because extreme heat can cause it to crack or blister. Take a look at your battery and tire pressure. Lastly, make sure your car’s air conditioning is working properly. There’s also another driving condition that many drivers experience, which is driving in high/strong winds. When driving in this condition, keep your eyes open for fallen trees, things that can blow in your path of travel, wavering objects around you, and look out for vehicles that don’t seem stable. Drive slower than normal and if there are large vehicles around you, give them extra space. When driving in side winds (winds that can blow you off course), drive slower and make slow and gentle steering moves. In all these conditions, make sure to know what you should do. Always be prepared for any situation you may face when driving by knowing the right information and having things in your car that will help you in these conditions.