WEATHER THE MONSOON WITH THESE SAFETY TIPS

Bandar Seri Begawan, 17 October 2020 – As the season change, road conditions change too. Brunei experiences the heaviest rainfall from October to January. Rainstorms and thundershowers due to the southwest monsoon have caused roads to become slippery with low visibility, especially during the night times. It is in these times that safe driving, increased awareness and precaution are crucial.

Before departing, make sure your vehicle is in good condition to drive through heavy rain. Ensure that the essential functions of your cars, like windshield wipers, headlights, taillights and turn signals, are in optimal condition. It is advisable to change your wiper blades once every 6 months, especially in wet climates. They will help you manoeuvre safely and ensure that heavy showers do not obscure your vision.

Additionally, some Jaguar vehicles come with Xenon high-intensity (HID) bulbs that are twice as bright as regular halogen bulbs and have a colour similar to daylight that makes road markings and signs more visible for safer driving. Similarly, Jaguar Land Rover vehicles come with LED tail lights. Not only are LED lights brighter than halogen bulbs, they illuminate faster so following drivers can react more quickly to the car’s braking.

Ensure that your tyres can withstand rainy weathers. Tyres lose traction and are susceptible to skidding on wet roads. This is especially true for tyres without proper treading because there will be no way for water to escape when they have accumulated beneath the tyres.

Your tyre’s air pressure is also important for its performance while on the road, especially in the rain. Correct air pressure helps to distribute the weight of your vehicle evenly across the tyre’s tread pattern, so that the tyre – and the vehicle itself – is at its most stable with better grip performance.

Ensure that your tyres have not exceeded six years of their manufacturing date. Expired tyres are dangerous because rubber hardens over time, causing the tyres to become brittle and lose traction. They may also burst because of the hardened rubber when hitting sharp objects or potholes on the road.

At Jaguar, a complimentary Electric Vehicle Health Checkup afforded to all customers includes inspecting wiper blades for wear and tear, headlamps and brake lamps for operation, as well as wheels and brakes for wear and damage. Regular car maintenance and checkup are essential, especially in the monsoon season.

After you have ensured that it is safe to take your vehicle out on a rainy day, it is time to drive cautiously, responsibly and attentively. Your full, undivided attention is needed. Head up Display is also a useful optional feature that aids drivers in keeping their eyes on the road by projecting driver information on the windscreen.

Give some distance from other cars to avoid collisions. Consider opting for safety features like Adaptive Cruise Control, which aids in maintaining distance from other vehicles, and Blind Spot Monitor, which detects approaching vehicles in your blind spot, to increase your safety in rainy weathers.

Avoid flooded roads and keep your engine dry if your car does not have wading capability. Remember to refer to your manual for maximum wading depth.

Driving at or below the speed limit is crucial for your safety and others on the road. It also helps avoid hydroplaning, which is when your car travels on top of water and has little to no contact with the ground. Jaguar’s unique All-Wheel Drive with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics gathers and interprets data from sensors to predict if the car is about to lose grip with the road’s surface. This predictive will pre-emptively shifts torque to the wheels that have better traction to maintain control and composure before the car loses traction.

Remember to prioritize your safety. Whether your car is in good condition or encounters mechanical failures while out, it still might be no match for ferocious thunderstorms. In these cases, pull over at a safe area and call roadside assistance for help. Jaguar Land Rover's roadside assistance program is available during both wet and dry kinds of weather.

Wet weather driving can be hazardous, but if you respect the road conditions and drive accordingly, you can enhance you and your passenger’s safety.