[sjain2054]

Thank you so much for this post! I have made a note of all these tips because, tomorrow morning, I start on a driving trip from Bombay to Goa (and maybe beyond).

I will be driving in a Tata Nano. I intended to take the scenic NH66 but I heard that it is in a bad shape. So the scenic drive has gone for a toss. I will take the Bangalore highway and hopefully get beautiful roads at Chorla Ghat etc.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Lights, literally, only go so far. When the rain is like rods from the sky, no light is going to penetrate it.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Lights, literally, only go so far. When the rain is like rods from the sky, no light is going to penetrate it.

Rains or Fog, the biggest mistake I see most drivers make is to switch over to the highest available beams with a hope that they will be able get best visibility but that is not true at all. As you mention, no matter how powerful the light is, if you are not able to see what is right ahead of you at ground level, you are merely illuminating the rain drops or fog and nothing else!

I always drive on Low Beams when it is raining heavily and if need be, I also switch to high beams once in a while BUT I adjust the beam position (Headlamp leveller) to the lowest position.

You can notice in the previous page the video of driving in heavy rains at night with a basic headlamp set-up.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Rains or Fog, the biggest mistake I see most drivers make is to switch over to the highest available beams with a hope that they will be able get best visibility but that is not true at all. As you mention, no matter how powerful the light is, if you are not able to see what is right ahead of you at ground level, you are merely illuminating the rain drops or fog and nothing else!

I don't know if it was mentioned here before - there is another safety tip: if it has been raining cats and dogs for some time, I tend to drive in the middle of the road. If you drive too far in the left, the accumulated water and the sand will make you skid and you might end up in the ditch if in plains or in the valley if in hills. On the other hand if you are in a two way road with no median, some crackpot may come speeding on to you if you are on the right side.

I have had a car rammed into my car's rear during a storm. Fortunately Tata had better steel than the other car.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Prowler

On the other hand if you are in a two way road with no median, some crackpot may come speeding on to you if you are on the right side.

And even when on a dual carriageway with a median, if you are closer to the median, water logging will give you some moments to remember when your car experiences acquaplaning! Not to forget that huge splash of water once in a while thrown right onto your windscreen by an oncoming heavy vehicle driven next to the median on the other side.

[sumeethaldankar]

When we slip the clutch while driving through flooded water don't we risk having water infiltrate between the clutch plate,flywheel etc? Won't this damage the clutch?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

...don't we risk having water infiltrate between the clutch plate,flywheel etc? ...

Surely it is in fully enclosed housing?

[IndigoXLGrandDi]

I am confused whether to post this here or in Rain Repellent Thread.

We all know that most of the cars don't have Heated 1. ORVMs Glass and 2. Side Window Glasses (Yes I know even Rear Windscreen too).

During Rain, the Water Drops gathered on the ORVMs Glass and Side Window Glasses make it Very Dangerous to Identify the vehicles coming from behind while changing Lanes, merging from service lanes, merging from side of road, joining main roads from small roads, etc.

It is not possible to always lower the Window Glass of front windows and wipe the Mirrors and outer side of Window glass.

Is there any way to effectively overcome this problem?

What do you bhpians do?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by IndigoXLGrandDi

Is there any way to effectively overcome this problem?

What do you bhpians do?

A very common problem and more so when driving at nights and when tailed by a lot of traffic.

There are products like these available that may help. I have not tried myself though:


Image courtesy: LINK

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by IndigoXLGrandDi

I am confused whether to post this here or in Rain ----snip---

What do you bhpians do?

Try this:

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bLlMbHhq

It actually works.

[atulsian]

Originally Posted by IndigoXLGrandDi

Is there any way to effectively overcome this problem?

What do you bhpians do?

I've ordered one of these last week. You can try this and see if it makes any difference and you can peel it off whenever not required.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3291...chweb201603_53

Installation video and review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OiQDSeIqYc

[boniver]

Armed with this article, I hit the highway early morning today. It was my first ever drive on a highway during monsoons. Followed the article to the T and pulled it off!

Here's some footage from the drive. Rains, empty roads and good music, what more does a man need?

https://youtu.be/7y7A0dxcToQ

[SnakemanJohny]

Originally Posted by boniver

what more does a man need?

A hefty splash from a passing Scorpio, whether your window is up or down ? With the condition of roads in or around Calcutta now, you might be lucky if a pothole appears just then !

[theautoman]

on a related note, I use RainX on all my cars, for me it works like a charm. basically 2 applications of RainX on a clean windshield and ORVMs makes a drive through the Malnad region of Karnataka very enjoyable, I sometime do not even need to turn on the Wiper.
not sure if other brands of Rain Repellent products are as effective, one bottle should last for a whole year of used periodically on two cars.

[SnakemanJohny]

atulsian, I used one such film from AMAZON.IN last monsoon, and it worked for only two days (that too, not as effective as claimed) ! I am so disgusted that I did not bother to remove it at all, it makes no difference !

theautoman, I used PROKLEAR on two windshields a few years ago, and am still regretting it . An oily film (like duckback) that is difficult to remove, it works well during rains -- even in a medium pouring you can get away with using intermittent wipers -- the water forming beads that roll down easily. To get the beads to roll off or fly off the glass (as claimed) one has to drive at a dangerously high speed ! But on dry days, the glass is difficult to clean because of the oiliness. And during a drizzle, the wiper blades leave a misty smear that clears up In a fraction of a second, but is still irritating.

PROKLEAR's anti-fog spray is good, but. Applied on the inside, it gives a clear view particularly through unheated rear glass. And even on windscreens, you can get away without running the A/C during rains, if desired.