Dubai: UAE residents have been strongly advised to take safety precautions while driving as rains, strong winds and thunderstorms hit different parts of the country on Monday.
Forecasters say the rainy weather that caused traffic gluts and flooding in a number of areas in the UAE is expected to continue on Tuesday.
“If severe rain and blurred vision are forecast, please wait in a safe place until the rain stops and the vision has cleared,” the Dubai Police advised the public on its official Facebook page on Monday.
The police confirmed that a vehicle caught on fire on Shaikh Zayed Road, causing a traffic jam from the fourth bridge towards Dubai.
Studies have shown that driving on wet roads can be dangerous, more so in areas that are used to long dry spells. In the United States, almost 7,400 people are killed and more than 673,000 are injured in weather-related accidents, according to a white paper posted on the US Federal Highway Administration website.
Robert Hodges, chief operating officer at Emirates Driving Institute, says that wet roads can be “dangerously slippery,” especially for drivers who are used to driving in dry conditions.
“There’s nothing quite like getting to your car in the rain. It’s a haven from the elements. But be cautious, especially after the UAE’s customary prolonged dry spells – rain on a dry road is dangerously slippery,” Hodges says in a statement sent to Gulf News.
He suggests the following tips to ensure everyone’s safety during the wet weather:
• Demist
Before you start driving, set your heater or aircon controls to “screen demist”. Rain makes the windows mist up in seconds. You don’t want to be fiddling with controls when you should be concentrating on the road.
• Watch your speed
In the rain, your stopping distance should be at least doubled. Giving yourself more space will help to avoid spray; especially important when following a large vehicle.
• Drive defensively at all times
Expect other drivers to make errors of judgement and allow extra time and space to keep your own ‘circle of safety’ around your vehicle.
• Keep your eyes on the road ahead
Plan your driving so that you can brake, accelerate and steer smoothly. Be aware that harsh manoeuvres can unbalance the car.
• If you have cruise control, avoid using it on wet roads – it may create problems if you start to aquaplane.
• See and be seen
Put your lights on – as a rule of thumb, whenever you need to use your wipers you should also turn your dipped headlights on, and before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting to allow for spray.
• Use your rear-screen wiper and washers (if fitted) in order to maintain good rear-view visibility from your internal mirror.
• Make sure your car is properly maintained
Check your windscreen wipers, tyre pressure and tread depth, and that all of your lights work and are clean. Make sure that as well as keeping your washer fluid topped up, you also clean the inside of your windscreen as not to hinder your view.
