A sunny day, a temperature of 20 degrees, dry, little wind and the road is not that busy. These are ideal conditions for a ride. Unfortunately, this weather image is not always reality, certainly not in the Netherlands. That’s why you can read here how you can take different weather conditions into account while driving.
10 Tips for when the weather is not so ideal
- Check the predictions. Especially on longer journeys. Check the weather forecast before you get in the car. This reduces the chance that you will be surprised by bad weather along the way.
- Ensure visibility. Never drive away without a full view through your windows. This means scratching at frozen or damaged windows.
- Show yourself. Turn on your daytime running lights or low beam lights, even during the day.
- Accelerate slowly and adjust your speed. This way you have more grip on the road when it snows, rains, sleet or hail.
- Drive calmly, predictably and consistently. This is even more important in bad weather. Try to avoid overtaking maneuvers. If you must overtake, then turn on your flashing light in time.
- Keep your distance. Snow, hail or heavy rain usually reduces visibility on the road. Therefore, make the distance between you and other road users slightly greater than normal. This gives you more time to react when the driver in front of you slows down or makes an unexpected movement.
- Choose your landmarks. Bad weather makes it more difficult to see where you are driving on the road. Therefore, follow the road via the lines on the road, via the person in front of you or via the roadside posts.
- Warn others in time. For example, turn on your hazard lights when you see slow-moving or stationary traffic in front of you.
- Bring sunglasses for travel. Not only can driving be more enjoyable with sunglasses in the summer, they also come in handy in the fall or winter. You may then suffer from a low sun. Sometimes the sun is so low that it shines straight into your eyes and can blind you. Sunglasses in your car ensure that this does not bother you.
- Stop in a parking spot. If you caught in a heavy rain shower or heavy snowfall along the way, then you can choose to drive quietly to the nearest parking lot and wait there until the worst of the rain has passed. Please do not park on the emergency lane.
Driving in heavy rain
Keep extra distance in heavy rain. During a heavy rain shower your visibility is reduced. You can also see the stripes on the road less well due to splashing water and a reflective road surface.
Furthermore, a heavy rain shower can cause aquaplaning. A layer of water between the tires of your car and the road makes the car uncontrollable. ‼️
To prevent aquaplaning, 90% of Dutch highways consist of ZOAB (zeer open asfaltbeton, very open asphalt concrete, a highly drainable type of asphalt).
ZOAB drains rainwater and prevents water from remaining on the road surface. You reduce the risk of aquaplaning by adjusting your speed. Tires with sufficient tread depth also provide more grip when driving through water.
⚠️ If the car starts sliding, due to aquaplaning:
- Stay calm.
- Release the gas and depress the clutch.
- Look where you want to drive (straight ahead) and steer the car in that direction.
- Don’t brake.
Eventually your car will regain grip on the road and you can continue driving calmly.
Driving in the snow
When it is snowed or has snowed recently, consider these tips in addition to the general ones:
- Drive in the tracks left by the cars ahead of you This makes it easier for you to keep a grip on the road.
- Release the brakes or press them firmly. Do you need to slow down? Then slow down by releasing the throttle. Do you need to slow down faster? Then press the brake pedal fully, this is how the braking system works best. Note: this probably assumes ABS (anti-lock breaking system) which works best when fully pressed.
Driving in slippery conditions
- Drive away in a higher gear. It can be more difficult to drive away in slippery conditions. By immediately switching to second gear, your tires get more grip and driving away becomes easier. Give it little gas and release the clutch gently.
- Look far ahead of you. Then it is easier to keep driving in the right line.
Driving during a thunderstorm
- Park your car on the side of the road. At a gas station or in a parking lot. Do not park under a tree or under high-voltage lines. ⚠️
- Do not continue driving! When lightning strikes, the car conducts electricity to the ground, so far no problem. However, your tires are less likely to tolerate lightning and a blowout is dangerous while driving.
- Turn on your hazard lights. This way you are visible to other road users.
- Wait in your car. Until the storm passes.
Driving in fog
Drive calmly and keep your distance.
In addition:
- Is the visibility 200 meters or more? Then just having your low beam lights on is sufficient.
- s visibility less than 200 meters? Turn on your front fog lights.
- Is visibility less than 50 meters? Turn on your front and rear fog lights.
👀 Driving safely means using all your senses. For example, in heavy fog, open your window slightly. This way you can hear what’s going on in your area.