How to Drive Safely in Wet Road Conditions

Driving in wet weather can present a whole new range of challenges to a driver, which can make the experience more demanding and stressful. However as long as you have the right knowledge, preparation and adjust your driving style accordingly it is possible to make safe and smooth progress in adverse wet weather conditions.
Remember because your tyres have less grip available to them, you need to be much smoother with your steering, braking and accelerating inputs. When applying the brake for example, initially apply a gentle pressure and then steadily build up the force needed to stop. Because of the adverse conditions it is a good idea to increase your safety margins by leaving a four second gap between you and the car in front of you.
A driver will normally feel when this is happening by the steering wheel feeling very light or by a sudden tug at the wheel. If your car is aquaplaning you must fight the temptation to steer or brake, as this could result in a massive loss of control. Instead gently ease off the throttle and as the car slows down the tyres will regain their contact with the road surface and your control we be restored.Alongside the rain obscuring vision on the outside of the windows you may also find that the inside of the glass has also misted up as well. To clear the mist switch your heater fan or air conditioning on to maximum or open a window to allow the air to circulate and clear the mist.
The level of grip from your tyres will play a factor in the stability and control of your car during the rain. The legal minimum tread depth is set at 1.6mm, however many motoring organisations now recognise that ideally tyres should be changed when the depth falls below 3mm to ensure adequate grip in all conditions.