Rain on My Commute: Part 4

picture by David McNew (see source here)

#4 ENVIRONMENT!   

Looks like L.A. was spared rain for most of the day, but forecasts put the probability this evening from 50% to an 80% chance!

So let's continue with my personal 5 favorite tips for driving in the rain... with #4:  Be aware of your environment!

I know it might seem a little overwhelming.  You've already had to be mindful of communicating your intentions in limited visibility (COMMUNICATION), check your vehicle for anything that might put you at risk (MAINTENANCE), and worry about keeping a safe distance from cars both in front and behind you (DISTANCE).  Now I'm asking you to pay attention to what is happening around you.

Check the road! 

This might be a little difficult to do if it's pouring or if there is bumper to bumper traffic.  Nevertheless, if you have the chance to survey the road you are about to drive through you will be able to:

A) Approach puddles with care (hydroplaning hazard and enemy of pedestrians world-wide).  **Usually form on lanes closest to the sidewalk!  If you can, drive in a middle or left lane.  If you can't avoid a puddle try not to SPEED through it, take it a lower speed, and if a pedestrian is close-by, be mindful.  Don't slam on your brakes or swerve to avoid puddles.  Those actions would be riskier than driving over the puddle.

B) Avoid flooding!  More than just a puddle can be very dangerous and inconvenient.  Always keep in mind to look ahead, as far as you can see.  If you see cars trying to cross a flooded street up ahead, I'd suggest looking for an alternate route.  Turn and drive around the flood, looking for a route through higher ground or that is not flooded.  The danger with flooded streets is that you have very little control as to how your vehicle is going to react.  There is a risk of your car stalling, which means it will stop while submerged in water and you will not be able to drive away. 

There is also a risk that your car will float away if the water is rushing or begins to rush.  Since you are not on a boat, your car will be at the mercy of the water.  If you absolutely have to drive through water that submerges the body of your vehicle, be prepared to abandon your car if it stalls.  I've driven through flooded water and was lucky, but too risky to do again. 

If your car is stuck in water, turn on the hazard lights, abandon the vehicle as quickly and as safely as you can, head for higher ground, and call a towing company.  If you remain in your car, you risk being whisked away or being attacked by piranhas.

*By the way, you should all be flood-literate after all the recent water main breaks in L.A. County.  

C) Avoid the future.  I've brought this point up in a past blog with the SUV that rear-ended the Benz.  If you have the chance to look over the cars in front of you, either because you're driving on a downgrade or have a tall vehicle, use that advantage to look towards future traffic.  This will alert you to possible floods, accidents, or a dreadfully congested lane.  It is no fun to be stuck in a turtle of a lane with rain pouring and seeing other lanes moving forward painlessly.  Trying to change lanes from a stopped position in the rain is another risky maneuver.  If you absolutely have to move out of a stopped position, do not dart out quickly (slipping uncontrollably potential) and do not do it without communicating your intention (flash those signal lights). Be Smart, not Emotional.  If you let your frustrations get the best of you, the outcome might be worse than just sucking it up and being careful.

D)  Be mindful of others.  Not everyone reads this blog and so many do not understand that there are better ways to drive than using the indifferent, half-ass approach of most drivers.   Most people will NOT communicate, will be driving way too fast (stay far from those), swerve to avoid rear-ending someone who has stopped short (or to make a last minute turn without signaling), stop short in front of you, or cut you off.  This is why keeping distance and keeping your eyes peeled will be a life saver.  If you notice that the traffic in front of you at 100 feet is moving slowly, yet the car in front of you keeps sprinting ahead, you know to keep calm and not hastily move forward.  Once the car in front of you rear-ends someone,  you can calmly and safely change lanes to continue on your way. 

If you see an accident that is about to happen close to you, quickly decide what your best reaction will be.  Sometimes an assisting bump on the horn can help avoid two other cars crashing. Sometimes not reacting at all is the correct route.  Other times you may need to swerve to miss hitting a car that is hydroplaning or skidding in your direction.  Stay calm and remember SLOWING DOWN is an option, as long as it is done in a safe manner.  Speeding away or swerving may not be as safe as just applying the brakes moderately and allowing the car to spin out of control in front of you.  If you speed up and swerve,  you may find yourself becoming part of an accident that some other commuter behind you sees and avoids.

Share the Road!  I know many of you get super frustrated at bicyclists on the road in any kind of weather.   Be safe, change lanes if you have to, but share the road.

Your life and your safe travel does not supercede a cyclist's.  If you think otherwise, then get your head checked by a shrink.

**

The last thing I'll say is that all of these tips are valid under Normal driving conditions.  But with inclement weather, regular road hazards are amplified greatly.  This means that if you are a decent driver during Normal driving conditions, you will need to push yourself to be an Excellent driver during Rainy conditions.

You cannot completely prevent anything from going wrong, but you sure as heck can take the steps to increasing the odds in your favor.

Safe Driving!
the Driving Dude