Nothing beats the joy of taking a scenic road trip in monsoon with your favorite people. The blissful weather, the cool breeze carrying a sweet petrichor, and the musical pitter-patter, and the dewy foliage make your journey all the more refreshing. Driving in the rain, however, is only enjoyable if one exercises extreme caution. In order to make the experience both hassle-free and safe (for oneself and others on the road), one must follow some simple road safety tips during the rainy season. Though charming and revitalizing, riding in monsoon can have its cons if the proper safety measures are not taken before and during the journey.
Some Handy Road Safety Tips During Rainy Season
Here’s all you need to do to ensure the safety of your co-passengers and yourself during a road trip in the rain:
- Get your vehicle checked
- Keep a tab on the weather forecast
- Time your journey
- Fuel-up before setting off
- Drive slow
- Keep the lights on
- Maintain a minimum safe distance
- Avoid offroading
- Take a break if the weather worsens
- Carry an emergency kit
1. Get Your Vehicle Checked
It’s of utmost importance to make sure your car is in perfect condition before you head out in this weather. Even the smallest of mechanical fault can cause the biggest of hindrances to your road safety during the rainy season. You don’t want to be stuck on a marshy road changing tires while it’s raining cats and dogs. You must ensure the tires, windshield wipers, headlights, and brakes of your car of motorbike are working perfectly. In addition, defog your windows to maximize visibility. Products like Rain-X Anti Fog can do the job for you!
2. Keep A Tab On The Weather Forecast
Rain is unpredictable, especially in the monsoon season. One moment it’ll be sunny and the next it’ll start pouring like crazy. So, always make sure you tune in to the weather forecast before you get into your car. And this isn’t just for your present location, but also for the destination. Stay updated on the weather predictions of the place you’re heading to. If the forecast suggests a spell of rain, adjust your plans in accordance.
Must Read: 29 Monsoon Destinations In India That Will Make You Dance In The Rain
3. Time Your Journey
Timing matters! Know which time of the day is safe. Know the distance between your location and the destination, and how much time it would take you to cover it at your intended driving speed. You must understand that rain will automatically slow you down, and it’ll take more time than normal to drive on those slippery roads and get through traffic. So leave earlier than you thought you should. That way, you can also make sure you don’t end up driving in the night, which is dangerous in the monsoon season. Timing your trip well is possibly the most important of monsoon road safety tips that we can give you!
4. Fuel-Up Before Setting Off
Imagine being stuck in a remote area with no fuel in your vehicle and no refill station in sight while it’s pouring. Scary, isn’t it? Make sure you fill up your vehicle to its maximum capacity so that your car doesn’t give up on you in the middle of the road.
According to transport authorities, this is one of the most crucial monsoon safety tips for roads in hilly areas. Majority of fuelling stations in the mountains close around 7 PM, and maybe even sooner in the rainy season.
Suggested Read: 14 Places To Visit In Rajasthan In Monsoon For Those Who Love Rains!
5. Drive Slow
The roads are marshy and slippery. Visibility is less. It’s not the ideal condition for a Fast And Furious road trip. Keep the urge to race and overtake for another time. The established road safety tips during rainy season for many cities especially ask drivers to drive slow so that they can clearly see where they’re going and also not jeopardize the safety of other people on the roads. Besides, wet roads can cause tires to lose traction and skid, and the driver can lose control of the vehicle.
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6. Keep The Lights On
Yes, even during the day! Visibility is of utmost importance when you’re driving in the rain, especially in the hills. You need to be able to see clearly and be seen clearly.
Keeping the lights on will also help others driving around you identify your vehicle and maintain a safe distance. Just make sure you don’t flash a high beam straight onto an oncoming vehicle as this may blind the driver temporarily and cause an accident.
Suggested Read: 17 Breathtakingly Beautiful Monsoon Getaways Near Pune And Mumbai
7. Maintain A Minimum Safe Distance
Give other vehicles (and yourself) plenty of room to see ahead and avoid a collision. Since visibility is less and the roads are wet, you can’t just ram the brakes and pull up in an instant assuming the cars following you will do the same. Besides, the driver in front of you may not have read the road safety tips during rainy season and taken the right precautions for driving in monsoon!
8. Avoid Offroading
Going off the beaten track may be fun in the summer season, but it’ll only reward you with trouble in monsoon, especially in the hills. Just keep the following monsoon road safety tips in mind when driving in the mountains:
- Stay on the well-paved road as much as possible. Avoid driving on loose earth, muddy roads, and patches.
- If you do get stuck in a muddy patch, don’t use brakes or your car will be pushed further into the slush.
- Just shift to a higher gear and try to drive out of it.
- Keep the steering wheel steady or you can hydroplane and lose control of the vehicle.
- Steer clear of puddles and muck as you do not know how deep a pothole it may be hiding.
Suggested Read: 7 Scintillating Places To Visit In Himachal Pradesh In Monsoon
9. Take A Break If The Weather Worsens
It is not advised to drive in a storm or during heavy rain when you can’t see clearly or control your vehicle properly. In such times, it is best to just grab a good spot on the side of the road and pull over. However, do make sure that your headlights and tail lights are on so that passers-by can see your car and avoid a collision.
10. Carry An Emergency Kit
What would you do if you are stuck on the road in the dead of the night? Make sure you have the following things with you:
- Flashlight (preferably waterproof)
- Umbrella or raincoat (or both)
- Extra clothes
- Mosquito repellent
- Sturdy shoes
- Power bank
Further Read: 20 Best Places To Visit In North India In Monsoon For That Much Needed Break
Made a note of all of these? Great work! Now you’re all sorted for your upcoming road trip! Just make you religiously follow these road safety tips during rainy season for a smooth getaway and for the safety of your loved ones. Don’t let a little rain and fog dampen your spirit and get in the way of a kickass vacation.
Know of any more tips for road trips in monsoon that your fellow readers must abide by, do let us know in the comments below and we’ll happily add them to this list!
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Please Note: Any information published by TravelTriangle in any form of content is not intended to be a substitute for any kind of medical advice, and one must not take any action before consulting a professional medical expert of their own choice.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Road Safety Tips For Rainy Days
Need some more clarity? See if these common queries help:
How do you drive safely in bad weather?
You can ensure your safety and of those around you while driving in the rain by following the tips and guidelines mentioned above. At what speed should you drive in the rain?
To drive safely in the rain, you should slow down to about 1/3 of the normal speed limit since wet roads tend to reduce traction. If you were driving at 60 mph when the road was dry, reduce to 40 mph once it starts raining. Why is winter driving dangerous?
Damp and slippery roads in winters make it dangerous to drive in cold weather. Also, fog and mist reduce visibility, further complicating the situation and increasing the danger. This is why it’ll be wise for travelers to abide by these road safety tips during this rainy season as well as winter season, especially if they’re traveling to Uttarakhand and Himachal in monsoon. What is the most dangerous time to drive in the rain?
One should not drive in the rain during the night or when the weather is stormy. Driving on roads clogged with a continuous downpour can also prove to be fatal as you never know what boulder or hole that muddy water ahead of you is hiding.
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Kanika has 4 years of experience in writing blogs and marketing content for travel. And when she’s not writing, she’s either exploring new terrains in a different corner of the world, or out in the city freezing urban scenarios in her camera.
