[Music] imagine you've been learning to drive for the last six months and you feel really confident about your upcoming driving test but you have one nagging doubt you've never had to drive in the rain what if it rains on your test how would you need to drive believe it or not this is a fairly common situation especially during the summer so in this video we will show you exactly what to do to remain safe and pass your driving test in the rain before we get started please subscribe to our channel and click the bell so you can watch our next video as soon as it's released if you have any questions about this video then please comment below and we will reply as soon as we can [Music] once inside the car we need to get set up for driving in the rain once the car is started we should turn on the wipers we will need to select the correct wiper speed for the conditions the front wipers work in several modes we have a choice of wiping the screen once or selecting intermittent or constant wiping if the amount of rain changes during our test we will need to adjust the wipers whilst driving and since wiper controls vary a lot between cars we must ensure we learn these before your test just in case it rains some cars even have an automatic setting for the front wipers which will automatically vary the wiper speed to match the amount of rain if the rear screen is hard to see through then now is a good time to give that a wipe as well we always turn on our dipped headlamps when driving in rain to make our car more visible to other traffic and pedestrians since they won't dazzle anyone we can just leave them on throughout the test even if the rain stops falling we should ensure that the cars heating controls are correctly set to maintain a comfortable temperature and prevent the windows misting up if your car has manual heater controls make sure the air conditioning is turned on and there is air blowing towards the windscreen one last tip is that if your car has heated door mirrors you can use them to evaporate the water and clear the mirror view on our car the door mirror heaters are controlled by the rear window heater button and if we turn it on once the car is started the mirrors will dry off as we leave the test centre car park now that we're all set up let's start driving unless the rain is very heavy indeed we should still try to drive confidently keeping up with the flow of traffic wherever it's safe – even in the rain there is no need to drive excessively slowly unless there is a hazard that we need to slow down for even when driving on our own we allow more time for braking the car as there will be far less grip available from our tires this is especially noticeable on Warren Road surfaces so if the road looks more shiny than normal be extra careful we always try to brake progressively to allow us to feel how the brakes are working before braking more firmly modern cars have anti-lock braking systems to help us stay in control in emergencies but they are only as good as the grip from the tires and can't change the laws of physics another benefit of braking smoothly is that it gives following traffic more time to react so even if their tires are worn they will have time to stop without hitting our car we should keep at least a four second gap behind other traffic as this will reduce spray from their wheels and improve our visibility this is very important as we will need more time to react when we spot a hazard ahead due to the reduced grip to the road in the wet other traffic will often travel far closer to each other but to ensure our safety we should always try to keep our 4 second gap the extra space in front of us will also give us more time to read any road markings which can be much harder to see in the wet especially if they are faded and worn we should reduce our car speed a little more than normal before cornering in the wet as the lower grip level will make it easier for the car to lose traction and slide even though modern cars have electronic stability control systems to help us if we drive in a manner that forces the car to help us it is unlikely that the examiner will pass our driving test try to use all of the car's controls as smoothly as possible and the car should stay well balanced and unlikely to slide if we spot deep standing water on the road ahead then we should try to gently steer around it when possible as driving through deep water at speed can be dangerous if our tires can't deal with the depth of water the car will aquaplane and lose all grip to the road if there is oncoming traffic and no room to steer around the water we should slow down before driving through the water as the lower speed will give the tires more time to move the water aside and reduce the chance of skidding most learners use their driving instructors car for the driving test and we are sure their instructor would ensure that their car is well maintained however if you are using your own car for your driving test then it is worth checking that your tires and wipers are in good condition we should check the tires are correctly inflated are in good condition and have good tread depth the legal minimum is one point six millimeters of tread across the central three-quarters of the tire all the way around all four tires but for better performance in wet weather at least three millimeters is recommended the wiper blades should be able to clear the screen without leaving any streaks behind if your wipers are worn out or perished then a new set should be fitted they are reasonably priced and a local part store can fit them if needed there are glass treatments available to help the windscreen and mirrors stay clear and Dima stood we have used rain-x in the past with very good results it's worth considering if you want to improve your vision [Music] so remember to set the car up before driving keep a safe following distance corner gently and smoothly and drive slower when needed if you found this 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What If It Rains On My Driving Test? | Learn to drive: Driving Test Tips
