Oct 13

Written by:
10/13/2011 7:57 AM 

The Phoenix Metropolitan area of Arizona does not get very much rainfall throughout the year as we all know.  So when that unexpected rain storm arrives it leaves a lot of folks in a dangerous situation.  There are precautions to take that could possibly prevent you or a family member from being in an auto accident when rain hits the valley.

One of the biggest situations that get people involved in an accident is the simple aspect of vision.  You need to check your windshield wiper condition on a regular basis. Those that do not look for signs of cracking or separation are going to suffer the most the first time they are forced to use them.  We all know that as rain starts to fall on our windshield, brake lights and traffic lights start getting blurry if the wipers are not properly working.  As lights and other traffic lines start getting blurry, it starts changing ones depth perception.  Once an individual starts losing their sense of depth, they have a tendency to start reacting to situations.  These reactions are extreme brake pressure, and also they tend to be a bit aggressive on the steering wheel.  The individuals that do not have ABS (anti-lock braking system) have to be more cautious then those that do have ABS. By being aggressive when braking, you can cause the tires to lock up.  If you are put in the situation where your tires have locked up, your stopping distance is going to increase, which may cause a rear end accident or even worse.  The right thing to do is to reduce the brake pressure a bit to keep the wheels rolling.  This will decrease your stopping distance compared to panicking and skidding with the front wheels until something else stops your vehicle.  As for the steering input, the smoother you are with the input of the steering wheel the more traction you will have if are needing to make a lane change.  Most vehicles now come with some sort of stability control system to assist with extreme conditions and panic situations. You just dont always want to have to rely on those systems. They help out in panic situations, but is still a good habit to be smooth with all the driver controls.  The only way to be smooth with the controls is to have clear vision and look far enough ahead so you can better prepare for a situation or prevent it all together.  Its when vision is distorted that an individual will be forced to make these last second decisions and hope they can avoid a potential accident.

Tires are very important to ones safety on dry and wet conditions.  When rain hits the valley the roads become very slick at first.  The slickness is caused by all the oils from the asphalt to to surface.  The water and the oil combination causes for extreme conditions and if you have no tread or poor quality tires this is going to make for a tough situation.  The worse off your tires are the more difficult acceleration, braking, and steering becomes.  As much fun as that may sound on a back road somewhere it is very dangerous on our roads millions of people commute on daily.

Get in a routine to check these crucial items so the next time a rain storm sneaks up on us, you are better prepared for the situations that you may face.