An AA guide to surviving 'April Showers'

As the saying goes ‘April showers bring May flowers’ but the showers can also bring headaches for motorists. During the last week of April 2012 heavy and persistent rain accompanied by gale force winds, rocked Ireland’s east coast. Met Éireann forecast rainfall of between 25 and 30 mm and gusts of up to 90 kmph over a 24 hour period. AA Roadwatch warned the public of flooding and fallen trees in a number of areas but particularly in Dublin.

Judging by the torrential down-pours experienced last year, it might be best to be prepared. Here is a list of AA’s top tips for surviving ‘April Showers’.

Firstly, see and be seen, check all your car lights. Ensure all bulbs are working and that headlights and indicators are clean and aimed correctly.

Secondly, keep your windscreen and other windows clear and check that windscreen wipers are functioning properly. The average set of wiper blades should last about a year so replace if necessary. Make sure that wipers are switched off in the park position when leaving the car and that windscreen washer fluid is topped up regularly.

The AA is also advising motorists to check all tyres for condition, pressure and tread depth. While the minimum legal requirement for tyre thread depth is 1.6mm in Ireland, the AA recommends replacing your tyre when the thread depth falls below 3mm. Also, do not under any circumstance reduce tyre pressure to get more grip, it doesn’t work, and reduces stability.

So what to do if you do come across floodwater:

• Only drive through water if you know that it’s not too deep for your car.
• Allow oncoming traffic to pass first and test your brakes as soon as you can after leaving the water.
• Drive slowly through standing water and use a low gear to keep the revs high.
• Driving fast through standing water is dangerous – tyres lose contact with the road and you lose steering control in what’s known as ‘aquaplaning’.
• Be mindful of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Driving through water at speeds above a slow crawl can result in water being thrown onto pavements.
• Driving fast through standing water can cause expensive damage. Just a small quantity of water sucked into the engine to cause serious problems.
• If you are waiting for your AA Patrol while it’s raining, don’t prop the bonnet open as the engine will be harder to start if the electrics are wet.
• Don’t try driving through fast-moving water, such as at a flooded bridge, as your car could easily be swept away.