F1 drivers call rain the Great Equalizer. When it rains, it doesn’t matter what car you have or how many millions of dollars went into developing it. It all comes down to driver skill. You don’t drive a 900 hp F1 car to work every day, awesome as that might be, but the principle still applies— Driving in the rain is a completely different experience, and it requires more skill. Here’s what you need to know about keeping control on wet pavement.
Keep Your Tires Fresh
“Of course Zohr would say that,” you exclaim loudly, drawing the attention of your coworkers. “They’re just trying to sell me on mobile tire replacement!” But there is actual science behind this. A 2018 study by the AAA showed that in wet weather, cars with only 4/32" of tread depth remaining could increase a passenger car’s stopping distance by up to 87 feet. It can reduce control by 33%. These are not small numbers. Sliding around in the wet isn’t just for bald tires. Worn tires are just as susceptible.
The reason for this is hydroplaning. As the car reaches a certain speed, the tire begins to make less contact with the wet pavement and more contact with just the water on top of it. Like skipping a rock across the still surface of a pond, but deadlier.
Proper tread blocks will punch down through that water to grip the road surface, improving traction. If you’re down to 4/32", it’s a good idea to start looking for a fresh set of new tires.
Leave More Room
But even with new tires, tire traction is always reduced during wet weather driving. So it’s a good idea to leave more stopping distance between your car and the one in front. Sure, it’s annoying, but not as annoying as buying a new bumper for a stranger.
ABS vs. Brake Modulation
Braking in the rain is a bit of an art. You don’t want your wheels to stop spinning all at once. That’s when you lose traction and start to skid. For decades that meant modulating, or pumping, the brakes. Instead of slamming on the pedal, you gave it a series of short pulses. And still today, if you’re driving an older or classic car, brake modulation is the best way to maintain traction under wet weather braking.
However, since 2000, every new car sold in America has been federally mandated to carry ABS, the Antilock Braking System. With this system, the car electronically modulates the brakes dozens of times per second. You’ve probably felt this odd crunching or buzzing sensation if you’ve ever slammed on the brakes in the snow and rain.
If your car does have ABS, it is perfectly acceptable to slam on your brakes in snow and wet weather driving. In fact, if you pump brakes with ABS, they’ll be less effective. If your car was built before 2000, check your owner’s manual to see if it has ABS. The technology has been around since the ‘70s, so it might.
Traction Control
So far we’ve discussed braking, but not acceleration. Getting up to an acceptable speed is just as important to safety as braking is. Let’s say you’re making a left turn across traffic. You see an acceptable gap between a neat little 1990 Suzuki Swift GTi and a 1987 Peterbilt 379 Semi Truck painted up like Optimus Prime. If you can’t get the traction to get across traffic, you’ll soon become intimately acquainted with that big rig’s grille. In the words of Optimus Prime himself, “At the end of this day, one shall stand, one shall fall.” Spoiler alert: You won’t be the one standing.
Throttle modulation works just like brake modulation. Feather the throttle so you’re only putting down some of your car’s power in short pulses. Or just use very light throttle pressure.
Like ABS, computerized traction control is now mandated on all cars sold in America. It uses electronic throttle control or fuel regulators to put down exactly as much power as necessary. But unlike ABS, many cars, especially performance cars, offer the option to shut it off. Removing the traction control fuse is also a common modification for drivers who want to drift a little in the corners.
Acceleration is also affected by your car’s drivetrain configuration. If you have all-wheel-drive, you might have better traction while accelerating. Front-wheel-drive tends to be more predictable. Rear-wheel-drive cars have the highest tendency of breaking traction under acceleration. Take note of these things as you practice driving in the rain, especially if you drive an older car without traction control.
Replace Wipers as Needed
We’re not just trying to sell you tires. Honest. We strongly recommend that you properly invest in your vehicle, get yourself some rain-friendly-tires and a pair of high-quality windshield wipers. It’s easy to go cheap, but not only will bargain basement wiper blades fail more quickly than top-shelf models, they’ll also be less effective.
Single-bow wipers were expensive and exclusive when they first hit the market, but these days they’re more accessible than ever and totally worth the investment. Visibility in the rain is crucial, and high quality wiper blades will help you identify and avoid subtle road dangers like debris and deeper, standing water.
Turn on Your Lights
In Missouri, one of Zohr’s bases of operation, state law requires you to turn on your lights if you have your wipers on. This is common in many states, but it’s a good idea everywhere. Remember, it’s not all about you seeing other cars. It’s just as much about letting them see you. Even if their wipers are broken, they’ll see your headlights through the rain.
Put Down the Phone
This is a given. Driving, even in the dry, requires your full attention. With the drop in traction, wet weather driving requires more reaction time, so don’t blunt yours because you simply must read that Facebook update from someone you haven’t seen in a decade. The same goes for eating, fiddling with your GPS, cleaning up that coffee you spilled, putting on nail polish, solving that Rubik’s Cube… You get the idea. Eyes on the road. If you need to do something other than drive, find a safe place to pull over before you do it.
Deep Water Hazards
You don’t want to be the guy in that Youtube video. You know the one. He thinks he can drive through deep water, but his Ford Aerostar ends up floating down the river to the next town. First of all, when water is actively flowing over the road, just turn around and find another way to go. According to an Australian study, a subcompact car can be swept away in just 6 inches of water flowing at just 2.2 mph. Bigger SUVs can become unstable in 18 inches of water.
Standing water presents different threats. Shallow water and large puddles can cause you to hydroplane and lose control. Driving through deep standing water can create a risk of drawing water into your air intake, and then into your engine, which won’t be happy about it. In fact, you can destroy your entire engine with a single flooding. This is why many off-road vehicles have tall “snorkel” intake extensions reaching to the roofline.
Again, we recommend that you go around these temporary lakes. But if you must pass through deeper, standing water, get a good idea of how deep it is first. Watch a few other cars drive through. Then, proceed slowly. The faster you drive, the more water will rush under your car, reducing tire traction.
The Great Equalizer of rain can present a whole new set of challenges, even on your daily commute. Know your car, your tires, and your wipers. Keep your head in the game. You won’t regret arriving safely.
For more information on the best tires for your car, feel free to give us a call or check out our tire finder tool to see what will work for you.
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