06 Jul 2018
Posted by Esther O'Moore Donohoe 
DRIVING ON WET ROADS AFTER A HEATWAVE
Here comes the science part…
If sunny weather is a distant cousin from America who visits every ten years, rain is our neighbour who drops in every ten minutes and doesn’t know when to leave. Irish people know rain but most of us don’t know what happens to wet roads after a prolonged dry spell. Well, you soon will! Prepare to dazzle your friends at the water cooler with these heatwave driving facts. Here comes the science part…
Whereas during normal weather (regular rainfall) materials such as bitumen, oil and rubber from tyres are continuously washed away. During dry weather, these remain on the road surface. When the first rain falls after days of dry weather, road surfaces become greasier than normal. The RSA say this means the roads ‘provide less friction for vehicle manoeuvres such as braking or tight cornering’.
DRIVING ADVICE
Safety first!
To avoid loss of control in these conditions, slow down and avoid braking hard. Drivers should also increase the breaking distance between themselves and the vehicle in front. As when driving on icy services, gentle manoeuvres are the key to safe driving.
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