Watch out, dangerous!

How drivers can survive heavy rain unscathed

(Bild: [e-mail])

Heavy rain, which is the order of the day these days, causes serious accidents time and time again. Often because drivers underestimate the danger and suddenly lose control of their vehicle. This can happen faster than you think, warns an expert.

The risk of aquaplaning increases significantly from a speed of 80 km/h, warns Roland Frisch, chief instructor for cars at ÖAMTC Fahrtechnik: "This is known as 'floating' the tires. The vehicle loses direct contact with the road surface." The result can be a "take-off" into the ditch. 

"No car is still steerable then." So it makes little or no difference whether you are driving an old used car or a luxury limousine. The decisive factors are speed and tires.

"Basically, the worse the tread and the wider the tires, the more likely it is that aquaplaning will occur," says Frisch.

What to do if the car floats?
"In a situation like this, it's important to keep calm, steer in the direction of travel and depress the clutch pedal at the same time. Jerky braking maneuvers should be avoided if possible. Although emergency braking in such a situation is much less dangerous than with older cars thanks to ABS, the risk of an accident still increases rapidly." Automatic drivers should ignore the advice about the clutch - under no circumstances should you put the gearbox in position N.

The general rule in heavy rain is: keep calm, drive with foresight and avoid abrupt driving maneuvers. In heavy storms, obstacles such as branches, roof tiles or even entire trees can lie on the road. Special care should therefore be taken when driving through forests and avenues.

If the rain causes severe visibility problems, you need to adjust your speed even more. In this case, you can also switch on the rear fog light to be seen better. And if you feel unsafe, it is best to stop in a safe place and wait until the worst is over.