Self Drive Uganda – Safety Driving Tips During Heavy Rains

Nothing stresses like driving in fog or heavy rains. But this being a natural occurrence, you may not tell what the weather will be like when setting off to your favorite destination. What is important is for you to have yourself equipped early enough to have a successful ride through the heavy rain or fog.

When driving on Ugandan roads, your visibility is key although things often get worse depending on the rain pattern. With 100% preparation and considering our travel tips, you can be guaranteed of memorable self drive Uganda safari even during the wet or rainy season. Yes, rain comes with its challenges and often, most people do not like driving when it is heavily raining.

Here are some of the important rainy driving tips to consider;

How you should drive in rain or fog;

• Be watchful of your driving speed- there is no need to be in a rush.
• Space between you and the next vehicle should be adequate.
• Make the best use of your headlights on dipped beam.
• Air conditioning should be utilized for you to prevent any internal condensation.

What to do before you start your journey

• First you need to ask yourself and assess if the trip to be undertaken is indeed necessary or if it can be postponed till the situation normalizes.
• In case you want to proceed with your trip, cross checks your windscreen wipers prior to actual trip. The wiper blades from the rear and front should be in better sharp and if in any case they are not, then consider changing.
• Cross-check your car tyre tread depth –and we recommend all season tyres of 3mm in case of summer and in case you plan to drive on winter tyres, then 4mm can work best.
• Your fuel tank should be filled up to avoid getting stuck on the road. The car breaks, heaters, lights and other things must all be functioning.
• First, you need also to familiarize yourself with the air conditioning, the heater settings before embarking on the actual road trip.
• Tune to local radio station to ascertain if there are some routes that have been closed or accidents or even flood cases in the route you plan to take.
• Get your phone charged to 100% or even have power bank in case it shuts.

Driving in heavy rain

• Check on your speed of driving –ensure that you give space of at least 4 seconds between you and the vehicle in front. In case there is someone driving so much close to your tail, better you give them space. Let him go ahead of you to avoid road accident.
• Be aware of notorious drivers like lorries and fast moving cars that can easily spray you with water. Such behaviors come with challenges, especially affects your visibility. In addition, do not forget the other road users, especially the pedestrians.
• Turn the headlights on –to ensure that you have complete visibility, ensure than your lights are on. These can improve on your visibility while you navigating in rain.
• Be keen on larger cars –vehicles like trailers are known to be more susceptible to high winds and managing them can really be tasking. Drivers of such vehicles often find it challenging to keep within their lanes.
• Defog the windows –as soon as you notice precipitation on your window, ensure it is defogged using the front and back defrosters such that you have maximum visibility.
• Be careful with intersections and merging lanes –driving at slow pace and while considering precautions, especially blowing a horn, turning on your head light can save you from getting collisions while at the intersections or merging lanes.
• Avoid braking or turning the wheels during a hydroplane. Doing this may trigger a skid/spin, and the best thing to do is to remove your foot off the gas and ensure that you keep the car straight until it regains traction. In case you must brake, then let be done gently.