Make your car safer in bad weather: A six-step checklist

Good visibility, tyres and brakes are essential for when it rains heavily

Poor weather can appear without warning, especially in today’s age of climate change and extreme seasonal rains. Parts of South Africa are expecting heavy rain this summer, with flooding a distinct possibility in some regions. You need to be ready for it.

Getting through a heavy rainstorm is one thing if you’re safe at home — but it’s quite another if you’re driving. If you’re caught in a sudden downpour while you’re on the road, it’s too late to prepare. If you want to drive safely in bad weather, you need to get your vehicle ready in advance. 

Preparing your car for poor weather isn’t difficult at all. It’s also surprisingly inexpensive if your car has no mechanical issues, so there’s really no excuse for not ensuring that you’re completely ready. In this guide, we’ll provide a simple checklist explaining exactly how to do it.

Get Your Windows Ready for Wet Conditions

The most important part of getting ready for poor-weather driving is ensuring that you can see. Your car’s windows need to be clean, clear and ready to remove water efficiently.

• Wash your car regularly to remove road grime from the exteriors of the windows.
• Clean the insides of the windows with a good glass cleaner. Dry the windows thoroughly with paper towels to remove any streaks.
• Apply water repellent to your windshield. Water repellent creates a hydrophobic layer that causes water to run off of the glass instead of forming sheets that hamper visibility.
• Replace old windshield wipers. Even the highest-quality wipers from brands like Ezywiper are still quite affordable, so there’s no reason to cut corners here.

Check the Air Pressure and Tread Depth of Your Tyres

Your tyres generate the friction that’s necessary to help you maintain control of your car when the road conditions are less than ideal. They can only do their job if they’re properly inflated, so check their air pressure at least once a month. Learn more about proper tyre maintenance.

If your tyres are getting older, you’ll also need to check the tread depth to ensure that the tyres will function optimally in poor weather. You can do that by looking at the wear indicators. These are the small bars that are positioned between the rows of treading and run perpendicular to the direction of the tread. If the tread is the same height as the wear indicators, it’s time for new tyres. 

Making sure that your tyres have the proper tread depth isn’t just best for safety — it’s also necessary in order to keep your car street legal. South African law requires you to replace your tyres when the tread depth falls below 1 mm.

Confirm That Your Headlights Are Bright and Clear

If your car’s headlight lenses are cloudy and yellow, your visibility will be poor when you drive at night. New headlights can be costly for some vehicle models, but headlight lens restoration kits are inexpensive and are available at any auto parts shop. A lens restoration kit typically consists of the following:

• Sheets of sandpaper that help to smooth away imperfections in the plastic.
• A compound that fills scratches and gouges and dries clear.
• A plastic restoration chemical that removes yellowing.
• A ceramic clear coat that protects the plastic from future oxidation.

Restoring your headlight lenses takes about an hour, and the results can potentially last years. As an added benefit, it can also make your car look much newer.

Don’t forget that checking your headlights isn’t just a matter of making sure that the lenses are clear — you also need to confirm that the bulbs themselves work properly. Test the headlights periodically to confirm that both lights have functioning low and high beams.

Get Your Brakes Inspected

Making your car safe for bad weather essentially comes down to three things that we’ll call the “Triple S Rule.” You need to make sure that you can See, Steer and Stop. The final part of that rule comes next: you need to get your car’s brakes inspected yearly before the rainy season begins. Remember that replacing worn brake pads early can help you avoid a full brake job, which costs much more. The average cost for brake pad replacements is just R350 per axle if you do the work yourself or about R1500 per axle if you have a mechanic replace the pads and resurface the rotors for you.

Between inspections, it’s important to recognise the potential signs of brake issues and get them checked out right away. Common signs of brake problems include:

• Low brake fluid, which can indicate that the brake pads are low, or the brake system has a leak.
• Pulling to one side when stopping, which can indicate that a brake is seized.
• Pulsing when stopping, which can indicate that a rotor is warped.
• A scraping or screeching sound, which can indicate that the pads are worn past their service limit.

Assemble a Severe Weather Kit

Getting your car ready for poor weather isn’t just a matter of confirming that the vehicle is mechanically sound — it’s also about ensuring that you’ll be as safe and dry as possible if things don’t go as planned. Assemble a severe weather kit and store it in your car’s boot. Some of the things that you might want to put in the kit include:

• Jumper cables
• A flashlight and extra batteries
• A portable battery charger for your phone
• Flares or glow sticks
• Raincoats
• Umbrellas

Recognise When Conditions Are Too Dangerous for Driving

As you get your car ready for the rainy season, it’s important to remember that some severe weather situations are inherently unsafe regardless of your car’s condition. If it’s not possible to drive safely, don’t drive.

• If you’re caught in rain that’s heavy enough to prevent you from seeing, find a safe place that’s well away from traffic and pull over until the rain subsides. Remember that if you can’t see what you’re doing, neither can anyone else. That’s a recipe for disaster.
• Don’t attempt to drive your car through rushing water. Six inches of water may be sufficient to make your car stall, leaving you stuck. A foot of rushing water could carry your car away. If you see flood water crossing the road, turn around and take a different route.