Road safety tips to follow during rainy season

Monsoon rains do not just bring relief from scorching summer sun but also brings few threats. It is not that easy to drive in the downpour of rains and especially on the wet roads after the rains. It is not just about the motorists, it’s also about the pedestrians who are even more at risk of road accidents during the rains. The risk of road accidents is increasing sharply during the rainy season and to control them, it is important to follow traffic rules, stay alert and take some extra care.

Below are few safety tips to follow during rains and unfavourable weather conditions while you are on a go.

Safety Tips for Pedestrians

As discussed earlier pedestrians are at major risk of injuries, falls and road accidents during rains. Hence it is important to follow a few safety precautions to reach your destination safely.

• Avoid Phones– First and foremost thing is to avoid phones while you are on the roads (or crossing roads) especially during the rains, as the visibility during the rain (raindrops) gets reduced. You may not see the car or the oncoming motorists may not see you during the downpour. Do not forget to use only the footpaths to walk and be attentive on roads.
• Be visible– Look at what you wear during monsoon. Choose light coloured clothing during rains especially at nights. Do not wear slippery foot wear or high heels during Rains, as the roads can be slippery and make it more difficult to walk.
• Don’t run to cross the roads – It is the common mistake most of the pedestrians tend to make. When it is raining, most of the pedestrians in order to reach their destination tend to run or walk in a hurry on the road and especially while crossing the road. Few others even tend to cross the roads wherever they want without caring about the Zebra crossings or signals. This is not at all suggestible, as the drivers may not see you due to low visibility during rains. This may lead to road mishaps or you may even fall and get hurt while running on the slippery roads.      
• Be careful with open manholes– Open manholes are like death traps in rains. There are several incidents where pedestrians have fallen into these scary uncovered manholes and got hurt badly. During heavy rains (especially during nights), it becomes difficult to walk and many people do not notice these open manholes and fall into it. Hence be very careful of open manholes during the rains.

Above all, it is always recommended to carry rain gear like an umbrella when you are stepping out to safeguard yourself from unexpected rains and escape getting drenched by rains.

Safety Tips for Motorists

Driving in heavy rains is not same and easy as driving in other dry conditions. It can be more challenging for the drivers to drive during the rains. To ensure safe driving in monsoon, one should follow these below mentioned safety tips.

• Check the condition of your vehicle and its tyres– Yes, you heard it right, it is the first thing you need to do as a responsible driver. Get your tyres, engine, wipers, battery and headlight, indicators checked in the monsoon. In few cases, during the rainy season, on the wet and slippery roads, the tyres get to lose the grip and even the breaks will not work. There are several incidents were bikers/motorists skid and fell on slippery roads due to bad or damaged tyres. Even the four wheelers also can skid on wet roads due to bad tyres. Hence it is important to check the condition of your vehicle before taking it out in Monsoon.
• Avoid mobiles while driving– It is very essential to be attentive while driving in rains due to reduced visibility. It becomes difficult to see what is in front of you during a heavy downpour. In such cases, being distracted due to mobiles can even worsen the condition and increase the risk of road mishaps.
• Keep distance and drive slow – These are the major things one should follow while driving in rains. Always keep safe and sufficient gap between vehicles and drive slowly, in case of emergency stops like slippery slopes, potholes or pedestrians crossing roads and so on. Both driving slowly and maintaining gap entrust efficient brake control on wet roads.
• Drive in your regular route in rains– It is always recommended to drive on the well known regular route during rains. It is more secure as you know the route and you are very well aware of the road conditions. Choosing a shortcut or unknown route can trigger the risk of road mishaps as you are not aware where a speed breaker or pothole is during rains.
• Be patient to avoid water splashes – Drive slow and be patient in water- logged places to avoid water splashing on others (Motorists or pedestrians). Never be in a hurry, wait till the pedestrians cross the road.
• Don’t use an umbrella on a Motorcycle – Few people open the umbrellas and hold them while seated on bikes. This is can lead to road mishaps and can even be fatal. Strong winds that blow during rains can easily get the person holding the umbrella down the vehicle. So never open up an umbrella while sitting on a bike.

Follow traffic rules, be alert, be cautious and reach your destination safely during rains by following the above mentioned safety tips.