The first thing that all driving schools will teach you is that traffic safety is the most important thing, and in addition to the attention of each individual participant, the conditions under which the traffic takes place are also important.
If it is a matter of difficult visibility conditions, additional caution is necessary, as well as maximum adaptation to the road conditions at a given moment. For safe driving, it is necessary first of all that your car is completely correct, which is not a problem for Saab car owners because they are known as someone who maintains their car very well. And when the weather turns bad and the condition of the roads worsens, then with increased caution, top-quality street lighting can greatly help drivers and make it easier for them to move on the road.
In conditions of difficult visibility, good public lighting is an important ally and support for drivers, but there are also other important factors that affect safe driving. That’s why we present some of the basic, practical tips that you should keep in mind when you find yourself behind the wheel, and bad driving conditions await you on the road.
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Tips for careful driving in the rain
A common problem that affects reduced visibility on the road and difficult driving is rain. Residents of big cities around the world know this well. Dust, sand, engine oil, tire debris and other impurities can often be found on the road, which, when it rains, in combination with water make the road very slippery and dangerous. The adhesion of the tires to the road surface becomes unreliable, so extra caution and adjusting the speed of movement (reducing the speed) are especially important.
That is why the basic advice for drivers is to maintain a greater distance from other vehicles when driving in rainy conditions, as well as to avoid sudden turns and braking of the vehicle in front of them. Mud that accumulates on the asphalt or wet leaves can additionally increase the slipperiness of the road, so if there are conditions for this, it would be best to avoid such sections of the road. If, as a driver, you do come across them, it is important to slow down in time and safely drive over the critical section.
Large puddles on the road are a specific problem on rainy days. If you come across a pond, it’s a good idea to stop in front of it to check what it covers, especially if you’re driving a section you’re not familiar with and haven’t been through recently. There is always the possibility that water from the pond filled the hole, which can seriously damage the car and affect traffic safety.
Electrical systems must not get wet
If other vehicles in front of you are crossing the water bars without hindrance, then there is no fear for you either, but it is important to drive slowly so as not to wet the vehicle’s electrical system. When you pass through the pond and come out on a drier part of the road, be sure to check the correctness of the brakes. The advice is to do this by pressing the brake several times in a row and thus dry the wet brake surfaces.
Low Clearance Saab cars and passing through water ponds
It is known that modern Saab cars have a fairly low ground clearance, especially the Aero models with sports suspension. With the Aero models, the small clearance emphasizes the need to be extremely careful when passing through water. There are many reasons, especially that the engine, crankcase and brake discs are quite heated – if you suddenly enter a pool of water, the crankcase with oil and the brake discs will cool down suddenly, which can lead to cracking of the engine crankcase or bending of the brake discs.
When driving in the rain, it is also important that the wipers are of good quality and fully functional. This implies that both the front and rear wipers have well-preserved blades, which adhere adequately to the glass and manage to cope with all water inrushes. In addition, correct headlights are very important in order to provide you with better visibility of the road and make it easier to find your way on the road. Therefore, always check and prepare your vehicle before every long drive.
Also, if the headlights on your Saab are fogged, we recommend that you polish, protect and restore the headlights as soon as possible so that they are effective in conditions of low visibility on the road.
Tips to help you drive safely in fog
When driving in fog, dipped headlights or fog lights play a key role. What you should never do when driving in the fog is to stop the vehicle on the road, nor to decide to overtake (unless it is necessary).
If you are at the head of the convoy of vehicles, you will be the one who will let the other participants know how and at what speed to move. The most important thing is to drive carefully and at a speed that depends on visibility, and which is sufficient for you and the vehicles behind you to react in the right way in certain conditions, i.e. avoid obstacles on the road or stop.
Be sure to turn on the front and rear fog lights, so that they are better noticed by other road users. Also, it is not a bad thing, if the fog on the road is too thick, turn on Emergency flashers or hazard lights.
Practical tips for driving in crosswinds
If you drive on the open road in stormy conditions, wind blows and vehicle resistance will be incomparably stronger than in optimal driving conditions. The basic tip for driving when there is a side wind is to hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands in order to keep the vehicle in the desired direction.
It is important that you have a good overview of the situation on the road and that, as much as possible, you predict the places where strong gusts of side wind can occur. That is why it is important to reduce your speed on these sections in order to achieve better vehicle stability.
Tips for winter driving in the snow
In winter driving conditions, the most important thing is to check the correctness of the vehicle before going out on the road. Winter weather conditions, in addition to being careful behind the wheel, also require adjusting your speed to the road conditions, as well as having appropriate equipment for winter driving, such as appropriate winter tires or chains as a backup.
In conditions of reduced visibility, it is mandatory that the windshield washer system works, so that you can remove the attacking snow. The technical correctness of the wipers, as well as the heater of the rear windshield, is also extremely important, considering that during extremely low temperatures, snow turns into ice on the glass.
Careful driving and adherence to basic driving rules in conditions of poor visibility will make traveling by car safe, and will bring you and your companions safely to the desired location.
