Driving in a downpour? Here’s how to use your car in the rain

In our daily car life, we occasionally encounter some bad weather, which will have a great impact on the safety of car use. At this time, we need to pay more attention whether driving or parking. This issue takes the most common thunderstorm day as an example to share some car use tips with you.

The first thing is to do some necessary inspections before going out, to see whether the wipers are in normal working condition, whether the wiper blades are intact, and whether there are debris such as leaves within the working range. After checking that everything is correct, get into the car. If the windshield is fogged up, be sure to use air conditioning to remove the fog. Do not use natural wind, as that may bring more moisture outside the car into the car, and the water mist will become more and more serious.

In addition, configurations such as rearview mirror heating should be turned on, and appropriate lights should be chosen according to the amount of rain outside. When the rain is light, just turn on the width lights, and when the rain is heavy, you need to turn on the low beam and front and rear fog lights. If visibility is too low in heavy rain, you need to turn on the hazard lights and find a safe place to pull over in time.

When driving on the road in the rain, the key word is “stability”. Control the speed, try not to brake suddenly, slow down in advance when turning, and steer the wheel gently to prevent the tires from breaking the grip limit on the slippery road, which may cause the vehicle to lose control.

Also, when driving at high speed, try not to run over stagnant water. If one side of the wheel runs over water, the different grip on both sides can easily cause the vehicle to lose control. If the vehicle loses control, do not turn the steering wheel suddenly. If the vehicle is equipped with ABS, step on the brakes directly. Models without ABS need to brake lightly. Release the brakes before skidding to stop skidding, then step on the brakes again and turn the steering wheel slightly to keep the front wheels pointing in the direction of the vehicle’s forward movement.

When you encounter a section of road with severe waterlogging, you cannot move forward blindly. Observe the water level warning lines on the roadside and the dynamics of the vehicle in front to see if vehicles of the same type can pass. If possible, maintain a low and steady speed. If you are not familiar with the road conditions, remember to follow the path of the vehicle in front. At the same time, pay attention to whether there are large trucks passing in the opposite direction, because the waves stirred up by large trucks will cause the water level to rise suddenly. Some models with low engine air intakes need special attention.

As for some new energy vehicle models, it is not recommended that you take the risk once the water level passes the center of the wheel axle. Although current components such as batteries and motors can achieve IP68 waterproof, the plugs and interfaces connected to them are still at risk of water ingress. Therefore, new energy vehicles must be inspected in time after wading, even the Yangwang U8 (configuration | inquiry) equipped with emergency floating function is no exception.

If your car is unfortunately flooded, remember not to restart it while expressing your sorrow. Not only may it cause a devastating blow to the vehicle, but the insurance company may also refuse to pay. After evacuating to a safe place, call for rescue, claim insurance, repair the car, or look for a new car?

The above are some precautions we have summarized for using a car on rainy days. I don’t know if they can help you. If there is anything not mentioned, you are welcome to add it. Please drive safely. I wish you all can go out happily and return home safely.