Tips to Prevent Vehicular Accident during Rainy Days

Yesterday’s news about the passenger bus which fell from the Skyway is really tragic; tragic because it could have been prevented if the bus driver was extra careful during that rainy Tuesday morning.

The bus that crashed onto the service road near the Sucat exit.
(Photo tweeted by @woweeposadas and retweeted by the MMDA)

It is a reality here in the Philippines that majority of drivers are not educated properly as to road usage, safety, courtesy and defensive driving thus resulting to senseless accidents wasting precious lives and property.

Below are simple driving tips during heavy rains:

•Slow down, it’s difficult to adjust stopping in wet weather.
•Water accumulates in the outside lanes so stay in the middle lanes
•Following distance needs to be increased during wet weather.
•Follow the tracks of the car ahead of you.
•As much as possible, don’t follow large trucks because the spray created by their large tires affects your vision.
•Be alert! Watch out for brake lights in front of you.
•Turn your headlights on even in a light rain.
•Before the start of the rainy season, replace brittle wipers.
•Avoid off-road driving: it’s hard to judge the actual depth of puddles and you can easily become stuck, even in an SUV.
•Don’t drive beyond the limits of visibility. Rainy roads become especially treacherous during the night and glare of incoming vehicles may cause very poor visibility.
•Don’t attempt driving through moving water if you can’t see the ground, your car could be swept.
•When driving through flooded road of uncertain depth, go slow. If it’s deeper than the bottom of your doors, turn around and find another route. Flood water can cause serious damage to a car’s electrical system.
•Stay off the road during heavy thunderstorms.

Luckily, there were only a few passengers in the bus and traffic was moving below the Skyway thus averting a major vehicular accident. This should be a lesson to all drivers and government agencies that existing rules be observed and implemented so as not to have a repeat of this accident.

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