This summer the weather has not worked out. July - the warmest month of the season - turned out to be cool and rainy, as a result of which the number of road accidents increased significantly. What happened? Have motorists really relaxed over the previous months and completely lost their driving skills in bad weather? It turns out that the time has come to remember the elementary mistakes that lead to serious problems.

Because of the cool summer, many drivers turn off the air conditioning systems in their cars to save money. And it is quite understandable - it is cold outside, and therefore there is no need to additionally cool your car. But there is one caveat.

Don't skimp on cooling

Climate control or air conditioning systems are designed not only to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the car in hot or cold weather, but also in order to "dry the air". At a time when the weather rainy, visibility is already significantly reduced, so also the glass in the car with the cooling system turned off will actively sweat from the increased concentration of moisture. In this case, professionals immediately remember about the air conditioner. But motorists with little experience (before remembering the causes of such problems) can get into an accident. Therefore, develop the habit of using the air conditioning system in the winter season and in rainy weather. Just add some heat, but do not turn off the cooling device itself. You can also "walk" on the inside of the windows with a special compound that prevents fogging. Or just lower the glass.

Do not step on the accelerator pedal

Summertime, whatever it may be, leads to relaxation of motorists. Some of them naively believe that the road forgives a lot. Well, there is some truth in this. However, this does not apply to wet asphalt pavements. Therefore, when driving in rainy weather on city streets or on the highway, we advise you to reduce the speed limit. Also, do not overuse vigorous driving and braking.

Even when you have excellent summer tires or an all-season option, this does not at all negate the fact that tire contact with a wet road is much worse than with a dry one. We advise you to increase the distance to the car in front. After all, when you follow back to back, then in the event of an emergency, you will not have enough braking distance.

Problematic puddles

They are just fun to run on, but following them in a car can be very risky. And there are good reasons for this. First of all, any tires (no matter how expensive they are), when they get into a hole with water at speed, the aquaplaning factor appears. Simply put, the water between the wheels and the road surface does not keep up with the drainage grooves located inside the treads, which is why the tire loses reliable contact with the track and becomes uncontrollable.

In addition, when driving through puddles, a large amount of fluid covers the brake assemblies, and the latter temporarily stop working. In other words, to stop the car, you will need to press the brake pedal a couple of times so that the water from the brakes will evaporate. And this is a priceless time.

And again about tires

When the tires are fresh, then in bad weather (at the correct speed) they effectively eliminate excess fluid, promptly taking them away from the place where the tread touches the road. However, when the tire is very worn out and it has a minimum tread depth, then such a rubber is no longer safe. And there is no need to talk about the sad results to which the developed tread pattern can lead.

Carefully, pedestrians

In order not to get wet when the weather is rainy, pedestrians use a variety of protection options: umbrellas, raincoats, bags. And with all this, they are also starting to be in a hurry. Therefore, when driving on city streets, drivers must take these circumstances into account. The reason is that all these umbrellas, hoods, and running around reduce the alertness and field of view for the pedestrians themselves. As a result, pedestrians unexpectedly "fly out" onto the road, creating a real danger not only for themselves, but also for other road users.