How To Drive In All Weather Conditions

Georgina Newton
November 2, 2012

Imagine a man named Charles shopping for used cars in Dunfermline at the precise moment that a man named Conner is shopping among used cars in Glasgow. As they are very close together, they both expect to encounter the same weather conditions - lots of rain and fog and a possibility of some snow and ice. Both drivers want to be as safe as possible, but have a crucial difference of opinion. The shopper of used cars in Dunfermline believes the driver's ability is the most important factor while the shopper of used cars in Glasgow understands that the car's condition is the single most important aspect of safely navigating in rough weather. Below are some reasons Conner may well be safer on the road than Charles.

First, Conner understands that the car's tyres can seem perfectly fine on dry terrain but still be unsafe on wet or icy roads. He regularly has the car's tyres inspected to ensure that there is rubber enough to handle likely weather conditions. He may even go a step farther and trade his all terrain tyres for those with treads specially made for water or ice when such conditions are likely to occur for weeks or months at a time.

Charles has a great deal of confidence in his driving experience. His reflexes and eyesight are terrific. While possibly well founded, this confidence leads him to ignore a factor that could nullify those advantages - the cleanliness of his car. A person with the greatest eyesight on the planet can not see through solid objects. Especially in wet or icy weather, particles of dirt and grit accumulate on windshields and obscure vision. Keeping the interior of a car clean is just as important. A can of soda can roll under a gas or brake pedal making it impossible to accelerate or decelerate quickly to avoid danger. A tiny piece of paper on the floorboard of the car can get trapped under a heel and cause inadvertent depression of one of the pedals. It can also get blown around and cause the driver to flinch and swerve as a reflex action.

Besides this couple of things, there are innumerable things that could go wrong with a car to make it less safe in certain weather conditions. While it is always good to have the most skilled driver possible operate a car, problems with the vehicle itself can nullify that skill because they are not in the control of the driver. The first priority to be safe in all weather conditions should be ensuring that the car is totally roadworthy.

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This article was written by Patricia Bland, a scots-woman through and through. With over 20 years experience in the automotive trade, in scotland particular. For more information visit http://www.macklinmotors.co.uk