Whilst driving
• Be sure your tyres have enough
tread. If your tyres do not have
enough tread, making a quick stop on
wet pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. See
“Tyre replacement” in chapter 9.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in cor-
ners, especially when roads are wet.
Ideally, corners should always be taken
under gentle acceleration.
• Turn on your headlights to make it
easier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large puddles
can affect your brakes. If you must go
through puddles, try to drive through
them slowly.
• If you believe your brakes may be
wet, apply them lightly whilst driving
until normal braking operation
returns.
Driving at night
Night driving presents more hazards
than driving in the daylight. Here are
some important tips to remember:
• Slow down and keep more distance
between you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the
glare from other drivers’ headlights.
• Keep your headlights clean and prop-
erly aimed. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more dif-
ficult to see at night.
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough, your vehicle may
have little or no contact with the road
surface and actually ride on the water.
The best advice is SLOW DOWN when
the road is wet.
The risk of hydroplaning increases
as the depth of tyre tread decreases,
refer to “Tyre replacement” in chap-
ter 9.
• Avoid staring directly at the head-
lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous. Here are a few things to
consider when driving in the rain or on
slick pavement:
• Slow down and allow extra following
distance. A heavy rainfall makes it
harder to see and increases the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle.
• Turn OFF your Cruise Control (if
equipped).
• Replace your windscreen wiper
blades when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the
windscreen.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
reduced.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times whilst the vehicle is moving slow-
ly.
6-48
English 
