Rain creates many problems on the roads: from reduced visibility to increased braking distances. Understanding these dangers, Hankook Tire offers a number of recommendations tailored to Colombia’s climate conditions to ensure safer and more efficient driving during the rainy season.

The heavy rain that occurred in Bogotá on March 4 and 20, 2024 coincided with a statement from the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Research (Ideam), announced in recent days, which said there would be significant changes in the country’s climate. Colombia, marking the end of the heat wave and the beginning of the rainy season in various cities.

It is worth remembering the strong monsoon season in 2022 when the ANSV Road Safety Observatory revealed that there were 63,836 road accidents in the first half of 2022, of which 4,032 were caused by heavy rains. During this rainy period, 74 of these accidents were reported as fatal.

With the rainy season approaching, Carlos Cruz, Commercial Director of Hankook Tire Colombia, Colombia’s leading tire company, shares the following tips for driving in the rain:

Maintain visibility: Proper car washing is essential to maintain good visibility during rain. Be sure to thoroughly clean your windshield and check the condition of your windshield wiper blades.

Rate the lighting: It is important to ensure that all of your vehicle’s headlights are working properly and aligned correctly to ensure good visibility in rainy weather.

Maintain a safe distance: Braking distance increases significantly in rainy weather. Maintain a distance of at least five seconds from the vehicle in front to allow sufficient time to react to any unexpected event.

Avoid Hydroplaning: Keep your tires in good condition, with at least 3mm of tread depth, to ensure good traction and reduce the risk of tread. Other points that need to be taken into account to avoid this phenomenon:

– Find new tires at the rear. When purchasing new tires, it is advisable to install them on the rear axle of the car so that the “used” ones can be moved to the front. This is because the new tires, with their deeper tread, help drivers have better control on wet surfaces as they are more resistant to slipping in water. A function that is enhanced when they are located on the rear axle of the car.

– Tire rotation car every 7,000 kilometers so that they last as long as possible, since they tend to wear out unevenly.

– Don’t brake suddenly. The first thing a person usually does when experiencing Hydroplaning is brake sharply. This is not a good solution because frantically slamming on the brakes can cause the tires to lock up when they hit the pavement again, causing you to lose control of the vehicle.

The recommendation for this type of situation when driving in a straight line is to release the gas pedal to reduce the speed so that the driver can recover as quickly as possible. If he is on a turn, you should do the same, only you should turn the steering just enough to go around the turn.

– Quality tires are essential to avoid Hydroplaning. By purchasing tires from market recognized brands, you can be sure that innovation and technology are constant to avoid situations such as hydroplaning, Thanks to suitable compounds and textures, traction is improved and water is quickly drained from the grooves when driving on wet terrain.

Drive at a safe speed. By traveling relaxed and calm, you will avoid sudden braking that can lead to Hydroplaning.

Keep a safe distance. Another point to remember is to check the condition of the brake pads and rotors, and whether the car reacts correctly to unexpected events. It must be borne in mind that with the arrival of rain, the braking distance increases. Therefore, when it rains, extra time is needed to react, and this can only be achieved by leaving a minimum distance of 3 meters between cars.

Hankook Tire reaffirms its commitment to safe and responsible driving in all weather conditions. For more information on how to cope with difficult driving in the rain and other driving situations, visit https://www.hankooktire.com/co/es/help-support/driving-tips/wet-driving.html.