Rainy Season? No Problem!

Tag-ulan na naman! The rainy season is here!

Everyone knows that driving in the rain is more dangerous than if the road was dry. But what some people don't know is just how much more dangerous. A US study found that the likelihood of fatal accidents to occur in light rain is 26%, and can increase by 146% in heavy rain. But following these tips can help keep you safe when on the road on a rainy day.

1. Drive slower. This sounds like common sense, but it's a very important step to minimize accidents. Lower speeds give the driver more time to react to road hazards and lower the load on tires and brakes.

   
   

2. Use traffic apps and social media to check on road conditions that affect your trip. This can help you avoid major traffic jams, accident prone areas, or even flooded streets.

   
   

3. Check your tires for tread and tire pressure. Making sure your tires have sufficient tread thickness is possibly the most important check you can do. Worn out tires negatively affect grip, handling, and braking. In addition, properly inflated tires perform better than under- or over-inflated tires, giving you more grip and safer driving, especially when it's raining.

   
   

4. Check your brake discs and brake pads. Brakes are the most important active safety feature in your car. The most important checks are brake disc surface flatness, which prevents brake vibrations and improves braking performance. Brake pad wear is also important. Thankfully his is easy to check - most cars make a high pitched squeal when the brake pads are worn, while some high-end cars will have a warning light displayed on the instrument cluster.

   
   

5. Check and clean your wiper blades and check your windshield wiper fluid. Wiper blades should be soft and flexible, with out tears. Cleaning the wiper blades help extend their life and prevent rips on the rubber blade and scratches on the windshield. Using proper windshield wiper fluid also improves the wiper performance helps extend the wiper blade life.

   
   

6. Clean your headlight lens and check all the bulbs. In some areas in the province, lighting on the road is not great. Start with cleaning the headlight lenses to make sure your bulbs can properly illuminate the road. Some car washes and detailers offer headlight restoration for cloudy or yellowing headlight lenses. For even better visibility, upgrade to higher output bulbs, and avoid using bulbs with headlight temps above 5000K, which are worse for visibility, especially in the rain.

   
   

7. Just turn on your low beam headlights - do not use your high beams, hazard lights, or park lights. High beams actually are worse for visibility in rainy and foggy conditions, as the light reflects off the water vapor and bounces straight to the driver's eyeline. Hazard lights should only be used by cars that are a hazard to other vehicles, either by being stopped on the road or moving slowly due to problems, while park lights are only meant for cars that are stopped on the side of the road. Misuse of these lights can lead to miscommunication with other vehicles on the road and lead to further accidents. International safety regulations ensure that your car's low beam headlights and taillights are more than enough to ensure you are visible to other motorists.

   
   

Of course, proper scheduled maintenance is the best way to ensure your car is safe and reliable in all conditions. But taking these extra steps when driving in the rain you that peace of mind and a safer drive. AutoPerformance carries wipers and lighting products from Bosch and PIAA, brake pads from Brembo and Bosch, and brake fluid from Brembo and Total. Contact us to find a dealer near you, or buy now at the AutoPerformance Official Store in Lazada.