Handling Hazardous Conditions and Emergency Situations
Rain, floods and reduced grip
Wet roads can roughly double stopping distance. Reduce speed, extend the following gap, brake earlier and more gently, and avoid sudden steering. If the steering suddenly feels light over standing water (hydroplaning), ease off the accelerator, hold the wheel straight and do not brake hard; let the tyres regain contact, then slow gradually. Never drive into moving floodwater of unknown depth. If you must cross shallow water, go slowly in low gear, keep the engine revving, and test the brakes gently afterwards.
Fog, night and poor visibility
Use low beams in fog - high beams reflect off the moisture and blind you. At night, dip your headlights for oncoming traffic and when following another vehicle closely. Hazard lights are for a stationary or disabled vehicle, not a licence to drive faster through rain.
Mechanical emergencies
- Blowout: grip the wheel firmly, keep the vehicle straight, ease off the accelerator, avoid hard braking, let speed fall, then pull over gradually.
- Brake failure: pump the pedal, downshift to use engine braking, apply the parking brake gradually, and look for an escape route or runoff area.
- Skid: ease off the accelerator and steer where you want the front of the vehicle to go; do not stamp on the brakes.
Trap
Items often present the instinctive reaction - brake hard, swerve - as the correct answer. In a blowout or a skid those are exactly the inputs that turn an incident into a crash.
Rule of thumb
Both hands on the wheel, eyes on where you want to go, off the accelerator before off the road.