The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has shared some essential tips for safe motoring during the approaching rainy season.
The Oyo Sector Commander of the corps, Mrs Rosemary Alo, shared the guidelines in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Tuesday.
The road safety boss called on motorists to prepare for the approaching rainy season by replacing their worn-out tyres and wiper blades.
Alo said drivers needed functional wiper blades to drive safely during the season because of the attending impaired visibility.
“The fact that wipers are moving or rotating does not mean they are properly wiping water off the windscreen.
“There are situations where some drivers, especially of commercial vehicles, would not have wiper blades at all; you’ll see them using their hands to wipe water off the windscreen.
“This is very dangerous because once it is raining, the visibility will be very poor, and when the visibility is poor, drivers need all the gadgets in the vehicle to function properly,” she said.
She also urged drivers to replace all worn-out and expired tyres to ensure a firm grip on slippery roads caused by rainwater.
“During the rainy season, tyres may not have a good grip on the road due to the presence of rainwater.
“However, if the tyres are good, they will have a firm grip on the road, and there won’t be cases of vehicles veering off the road,” she said.
The sector commander also advised drivers to avoid tailgating the car in front by leaving a good and safe distance while always maintaining a reasonable speed limit.
This, she said, would save the driver behind from colliding with the car in front, should it stop abruptly.
“It is also very important that drivers reduce speed to have a better tyre grip when rain falls.
“Vehicle speed should be within manageable limit whereby a driver can easily come to a halt or easily branch off the road when the need arises unexpectedly.
“It is important to apply common sense and speed limit rules when driving during the rainy season.
“If rain is heavy and visibility is poor, the best thing to do is to park a while out of the road at a safe place and allow the rain to subside,” she said.
Alo advised drivers to ensure that the headlamps of their vehicles work effectively for proper visibility.
According to her, not only must the headlamps be good enough for the driver to see effectively, but the lamps will also help the vehicle to be visible to other road users.
She noted that routine maintenance of vehicles must be a topmost priority during the rainy season