How to: drive in heavy rain

Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front. Photo: Clay LeConey

After Auckland Anniversary’s deluge and more flooding on our roads on Tuesday - and bad weather for the rest of the week - it’s time to refresh the driving tips needed for when you’re on the road during torrential weather.

After taking three hours to navigate 30 kilometres in central Auckland on Tuesday, I saw some drivers who definitely needed to learn how to drive safely in the rain! But by hour two of the traffic jam-ups, most people had adapted accordingly, with headlights on and driving safe speeds and distances.

Here are some tips to get you through the next few days of driving in heavy rain.

Before you set off

Ask yourself if the journey is really necessary or whether it might be better to postpone until the worst of the rain has passed. Unfortunately for me, I set off from home before the torrential rain started, and when I left my appointment, the roads were beginning to flood.

If you do need to go, check your windscreen wipers before you set off. Your wiper blades – both front and rear – should be in good condition. If they’re not, go to your nearest service station to replace them.

Check your tyre tread depth. If you’re driving on summer or all-season tyres, there should be a recommended minimum tread depth of 3mm. 

Fill up with fuel. Heavy rain often causes hold-ups as cars break down or collide. The last thing you need is to be stuck in traffic with your wipers, heater and lights on but hardly any fuel.

Familiarise yourself with the air conditioning and heater settings on your car so you know how to demist the interior quickly.

Listen to the radio. Find out if there are any road closures, accidents or floods on your intended route and work out an alternative journey. This was a lifeline for me as the route I was taking flooded and the motorway offramp was closed. 

Charge your mobile phone. You may need to pull over to let people know that you’re running late. Luckily I had Apple CarPlay in my Toyota Corolla hybrid hatch test car so I could text my son, Henry, to say I was going to be late to pick him up. How late? In the 45 minutes.

If using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, put your destination in the maps, even if you drive the route often. The navigation system updates every few minutes so it can alert you to road closures, and traffic jams.

Driving

Watch your speed and leave plenty of room – a gap of at least four seconds - between you and the car in front. If someone’s driving close on your tail, let them pass. It’s better to have them in front of you than behind.

Put your headlights on but keep them on a dipped beam. Do not use your fog lights.

Be conscious of spray from trucks and fast-moving vehicles. This could temporarily reduce your visibility. Equally, be considerate about your own spray and avoid driving fast through puddles close to pedestrians or cyclists.

Be careful, and courteous,l when driving through flooded roads; quite a few times the two lanes were reduced to one because of the flood on the road today. And drive slowly through the water to prevent waves.

Breakdown numbers do increase in the rain as dampness can cause problems with electrics and engines. If you do break down, keep your bonnet closed to prevent any further damage. Do not try to restart your engine if it has cut out after you’ve driven through deep water.

Aquaplaning

Driving through puddles can cause aquaplaning if your tyres lose contact with the road surface. If your steering suddenly feels light, take your foot off the accelerator and allow your speed to reduce until you feel in control again.

Do not brake until you’ve regained control. At that point, it’s a good idea to gently brush your brake pedal to create some friction and heat – and therefore evaporate off any outstanding moisture.