Bennett  Oghifo

Each year, nearly 75% of weather-related car accidents occur on wet pavement, and 47% happen during rainfall. With lower light conditions and slippery surfaces, driving in the rain can be one of the most difficult and dangerous situations drivers encounter. With the rainy season on the way, here are 10 tips to help you stay safe on the roads.

1. Wait for the Weather to Improve.

If it’s not necessary to go out right away, postpone your trip or commute until the weather has improved. There’s no reason to unnecessarily put yourself at risk if you don’t need to!

2. Make sure your car’s equipment works.

Before driving in the rain, make sure your headlights, tail lights, and windshield wipers work well. These are all critical for good visibility! You should also check that you have sufficient tread on your tires. Bald tires have poor traction, even in the best road conditions—but they’re especially dangerous on slick roads. If you can see the wear bars or the tread is completely worn down, it’s time to get your tires replaced.

3. Drive slowly.

Although it’s always important to follow the speed limit, you should make a point to drive considerably slower than normal when it’s raining. In wet weather, it takes much longer to come to a complete stop. Hydroplaning is also more likely to occur. It’s especially important to go slower when it first starts raining because the fresh rain will bring out the oils on the road and make the surface even slicker.

4. Use your windshield wipers.

It might seem like common sense to use your windshield wipers, but it’s not uncommon for drivers to forget to turn them on in light rain. Your windshield wipers should clear raindrops from the glass in one swipe without smearing them or leaving streaks. If they don’t, or you can hear a scraping noise, it’s time to replace them. If a heavy downpour or storm is on the way, you may also want to consider applying water-repellent products on your windshield to help the water bead off.

5. Turn on your headlights.

If your windshield wipers are on, your headlights should be on, too—even if it’s misting. Headlights will significantly increase your visibility and make it easier for other vehicles to see you. Plus, it’s the law!

6. Keep your distance from other cars.

Since your car’s reaction and braking time are longer in wet conditions, you should always double the following distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. This will also help you avoid water being kicked onto your windshield by larger vehicles, which can affect your visibility.

7. Avoid heavy or abrupt braking.

Slow, gradual braking is best in the rain. As you approach a stop, take your foot off the accelerator sooner than you normally would when you’re preparing to slow down, allowing your car to coast. Then, brake gently and gradually. Avoid using cruise control, so you stay more connected with braking and accelerating your vehicle.

8. Keep an eye out for standing water.

Driving through standing water increases the risk of hydroplaning. Hydroplaning happens when your tires lose traction, and your car drives on the surface of the water rather than the surface of the road—and it can be very dangerous. If it’s safe, try to drive around areas where water has collected by changing lanes or steering around them.

9. Let up off the gas if you hydroplane.

Hydroplaning is one of the most common reasons for car accidents because it causes a loss of control. If your car starts to hydroplane, stay calm, take your foot off the gas pedal, and steer in the direction you want to go. Don’t make sudden turns or slam on your brakes, because this can cause you to lose even more control over your vehicle.

10. Ventilate your vehicle.

Rainy weather increases the humidity in your car, which is why the windows get foggy. Using the defroster will help get rid of some of the humidity, but you can help it clear the fog faster and more efficiently by cracking a window.

Accidents Can Still Happen in the Rain, Even with Safe Driving

Making a conscious effort to take these safety precautions is the best way to stay safe in wet weather. Simply remembering to reduce your speed and turn on your headlights are two of the most effective ways to avoid an accident. However, even the most skilled and cautious drivers can get into a collision in rainy conditions. (Source: Cline Collision Center)

Road Safety

Candid Talk on Tyre Safety

Femi Bamgbala, was, and is still my boss. Easy going. Humble. Honest. Dependable. Nice personality. God fearing, I dare say among some other qualities that endeared him to me. He was among the big boys when we enlisted as rookies. He was one that stood for the truth. And I loved him for his principles and truly missed him when he left the Federal Road Safety Corps over 15 years ago.

Today, I have chosen to remember my boss. Not because of his principles. Neither, his fine face or the truth he stood for. I remember him today for one lesson he shared with me sometime in 1999 when I got my first car; a Mercedes Benz 200. Gray colour. On that Particular day, Oga Femi in company of some other senior officers was walking by my car when he stopped to examine the car.

After x-raying my car, he commended me for buying a clean car and equally gave me a pat on the back for using standard tyres which he said, testified to my status as spokesperson for the Corps. Just as he was about leaving, he paused and then asked if I was married. I responded that I was hoping to tie the knot soon.

Just then, he threw a small banter at me and said, I will come inspect your car again after marriage to see if you will be able to afford a standard tyre. I smiled, complimented him and requested for his kind permission to proceed which in his usual calmness,he granted.

It has been over 15 years since he threw the marriage joker at me. And it is over 21 years that I have by the mercies of God remained married. Now that I am married, I understand the timeliness of oga Femi’s counsel which was meant to put me on guard. It was his way of guiding me on how marriage responsibilities could tweak safety priorities.

When he said those words, standard tyres were going for maybe less than N20,000; yet I was being commended for standing out in prioritizing safety despite the fact that even with a ‘buoyant economy’, tyre abuse was still rampant. Contrast 1999 when he spoke to me and today.

The huge difference is too clear. Safety was cheaper then because safety paraphernalia such as tyres were cheaper to procure. Today, the story is different because of the ongoing reforms by the Government. To replace all four tyres now, you will need to cough out good money for your safety as well as to guard against the trouble called, ‘road Marshals’, according to some road users.

For the record, this piece is not about Oga Femi or any of my seniors such as Oga Yemi Omidigi, the solo master. Or Oga Wole Jatto, the philanthropist. Or even Oga Boboye Oyeyemi who ended up as Corps Marshal. Most of us will remember him for his workaholic driving antics.

One of his common work habits was to always schedule meetings late in the day. As a mark of his generosity and satisfaction on the assigned job, Oga Oyeyemi will order suya and drinks for all of us as refreshment before greasing our palms with some small change for transport. It was truly fun sitting for such meetings after the initial grumblings.

It was the tragic incident over the weekend that brought back memories of Oga Femi’s counsel. I am talking about the recent tragedy that befell one of our leaders who lost a son in a road traffic crash said to have been caused by trye burst. I know the incident is still fresh. But while expressing my condolences through this platform, I believe we all have a duty to play   to ensure no one dies in a crash, less in one caused by tyre burst or wrong usage of tyre.

Although tyre burst is not my focus, let it be said that tyre burst could be as a result of high speed, faulty tyres, high temperatures, or old tyres. It happens when there is rapid loss of pressurized air from the tyre. Tyre experts say it is caused when the structural integrity of a tyre is compromised and the tyre is unable to hold the air inside it. However, tyre pressure is the most common tyre burst cause.

In about 12 days, we will enter the thick of the 2024 Ember month season. In my usual practice during this season, I wish to commence my weekly focus on specific safety issues that should interest the average traveller. My focus for this week is no doubt on tyres because of the yearly worry by the Federal road safety corps on the increasing cases of tyres burst and the need to address this.

The FRSC annual reports indicate that tyre related crashes account for a significant percentage of causative factors behind recorded/reported road traffic crashes alongside tyre infractions. Aside the concern over tyres, the reports reveal that excessive speed which will form the focus of another piece, yearly account for about 54 percent with dangerous driving also listed.

Tyres are among the most important parts of the vehicle but unfortunately the least understood. Without the tyres, your vehicle is useless. You need the tyres to start, move and stop the vehicle.

So, buying tyres is a task you need to undertake very carefully otherwise your safety and that of others could be put in great danger. Before you buy any tyre, give serious consideration to the size of the tyre, the age of the tyre and the physical conditions of the tyre.