Thursday, April 24, 2008

Roads are slick in the rain - drive safely!

Spring is finally here!  Rain, rain, let it rain! A few reminders about driving in the rain: 

* When you reach for your wipers, also reach for your headlights. Virginia law requires you to use your headlights when operating wipers. The rule is to protect you from the “other guy” - the careless driver with fogged-up windows. 
* The posted speed limit on any road is just a suggestion. The posted speed is the maximum speed you can legally drive under ideal conditions. Less-than-ideal conditions include flooded roads, reduced visibility, snow and anything other than clean, dry pavement with no crosswind and no traffic. No driver wants to find themselves hydroplaning across the road into other traffic. 
* Driving is a life skill that requires continuous improvement efforts. The next time you find yourself in a heavy rain or snow, find an empty parking lot and refresh your skill set. Check the area for hazards and other drivers, then test your car. If the vehicle is equipped with Anti-Lock Braking System brakes, when you mash the brake pedal as hard as you can, you should feel the pedal vibrate back at you. The vibrations are there to remind you the ABS is working. Keep pressing the pedal until you stop. Now, perform this exercise again, but try and steer while the ABS is working. This is the magic of ABS - the wheels do not lock up, allowing you to steer. 
If your vehicle does not have ABS brakes, practice threshold braking. Find the threshold between a skid, and a controllable deceleration while NOT locking the front wheels.  Locked front wheels cannot steer, period. It’s a valuable lesson to remember the next time you find yourself sliding toward an immovable (or expensive) object. The hardest thing to do is to let off the brake a tiny bit. But once you do, steering control is returned.
* It’s your car. It’s your life. Get out and practice driving under less-than-ideal conditions. The next time you need that skill, it will be right at your fingertips. In the wintertime, it’s a good idea to go out with new, young drivers and practice “drifting” around a closed oval course. The skills new drivers learn while practicing may save their life when a real situation arises. As young drivers drift around the track, they learn to balance the car within a skid. Think about that for a minute. Balancing inertia with friction, and directing the car in whatever way the operator specifies. It gives novice drivers new confidence in their abilities.
Shortly after earning his full license, a 16-year-old driver was caught out by the old “overpasses freeze before the main road” adage. Accelerating across an overpass from a traffic light, he found his Miata wanted to swap ends. As he had practiced, he let off the gas, steered in to the skid, regained control and made it safely to school. As the old saying goes “it did not kill him, it made him stronger” (or in this case, wiser). Practice, practice, practice!
The Sports Car Club of America will be out in force at Fort Belvoir Installation Safety Day May 8 with race cars and race go-carts. The Washington, D.C. SCCA runs a tightly organized driver improvement program under the auspices of “racing.” The club offers behind-the-wheel training and controlled, safe autocross events. Come out and visit with the novice coordinator and the chairman of the SCCA. Driver’s training does not end when people pass their tests. It’s only the beginning.