Monsoon Driving Tips for Safer Indian Roads

Visibility: seeing and being seen

Heavy rain and spray can hide other vehicles, pedestrians and potholes until they are right in front of you.

• Switch on low-beam headlights in rain, even during the day. High beams reflect off the rain and dazzle you.
• Keep the windscreen clear by running the AC with the demister to stop the glass fogging from the inside.
• If rain is so heavy you cannot see, pull over somewhere safe, well off the road, and wait it out with your lights on.
• Watch for pedestrians and two-wheelers, who are harder to spot and have nowhere dry to go.

Tackling waterlogged roads

Flooded streets are a monsoon reality in many Indian cities, and they cause some of the most expensive damage.

Decide before you enter

• If you cannot judge the depth or see the road surface, do not enter. Turn around and find another route.
• Avoid water deeper than the bottom of your door. Water sucked into the engine air intake can cause hydrostatic lock, a severe and costly engine failure.
• Let the vehicle ahead clear before you go, and watch how deep it sits.

If you must cross shallow water

1. Drive in a low gear at a slow, steady pace to avoid a bow wave that pushes water into the engine bay.
2. Keep moving without stopping in the middle.
3. After crossing, dry the brakes by pressing the pedal gently a few times while moving slowly — wet brakes grab poorly at first.
4. If your engine stalls in deep water, do not restart it. Restarting can pull water into the cylinders. Get the car towed and checked.