Yes, it’s that time of the year again.
While you might love sitting on your balconies, eating a piping hot plate of fritters along with some tea, it can get daunting to step out during monsoons.
No matter what year it is, you’re going to face those massive traffic jams, waterlogged roads and unfavourable driving conditions. So, when it comes to commuting from your home to your office or the other way around, it can get a little cumbersome.
Here are a few tips for commuting stress-free during monsoons. Moreover, if you’re an EV owner, stay tuned and read this till the end to know more.
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Get your vehicle serviced before the monsoon
Monsoons can get harsh for any vehicle on the road at this time of the year. The driving conditions can turn from favourable to un-driveable in a matter of minutes. Hence, it never hurts to have a car that’s ready to take on the monsoon weather. Getting your car serviced before the monsoon arrives is a good call, allowing your vehicle to take on the roads.
Slow down
Yes, slow down. That’s the most important and in fact practical tip for anyone commuting during monsoons in Delhi NCR.
The rains can have a detrimental effect. While the gnarly traffic jams won’t allow you to move anyhow, it always makes sense to drive slow even on an open road.
The rains don’t allow your tyres to have much traction, due to wet road conditions. Hence, driving fast around corners or braking hard isn’t going to help you much either.
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Keep your headlights on
Visibility can take a backseat during rains and monsoon.
The rain and the mist together can make the overall visibility in your cabin very poor. This is why it is always recommended to turn your headlights, or DRLs, if your car has those, on whenever travelling during rains.
Moreover, whenever you do so, ensure that the headlight is on a low beam, hence not hampering other drivers’ visibility.
Ensure the defogger works
Defogger is your knight in shining armour in such situations.
The windscreen fogging up is one of the biggest concerns for any driver out there during monsoons. In order to fight this menace, you can turn your car’s air conditioner on, set it to a desirable temperature and turn on the defogger in your vehicle.
This will direct the cold air onto the windshield and avoid any sort of fogging while driving during the rains.
Check your tyre’s pressure
The tyres are an essential part of any vehicle and hence need to be looked into quite closely, at all times. Be it any weather situation, checking your tyres and keeping them up to mark is an essential step.
Get your tyres’ alignment checked and also make note of any visible wear and tear.
Over-inflated tyres might not provide decent traction during monsoon. Hence, make note of that too.
Electric Vehicles During Monsoon: Clearing Some Myths
When it comes to EVs, there are a ton of misconceptions and myths surrounding them while driving them in monsoon. However, let us help you in busting those myths and how you can safely and comfortably ride your EV around the city during monsoon without any stress or concerns.
EVs aren’t ideal for waterlogged roads: Every electric vehicle comes with an IP67 rating. This basically means that any electric vehicle, which adheres to this rating is safe from any kind of waterlogging. An IP67 rating allows an object to remain submerged in water up to 1 metre for 30 minutes without any harm. The probability of facing areas with waterlogged roads for up to 1 metre is quite next to impossible. The battery pack and all the other electrical components remain insulated. Apart from this, electric vehicles are designed to cut off at the first point of water ingress.
More Susceptible to Lightning: There is a common myth that EVs tend to be more susceptible to lightning strikes. It isn’t true at all. EVs these days come with electrical surge protection mechanisms.
Range during rains: No, constant use of wipers and headlights hardly take out any amount of range from your EVs. EVs tend to lose a very small chunk of power to such activities within your vehicle.
Conclusion: This Monsoon, Commute Safely
Monsoon is one amazing time of the year. With everything lush green around us and the rains, it does feel magical. However, commuting in peak city traffic during monsoons is a challenge in itself.
During this monsoon, commute safely anywhere. Moreover, if and when possible prefer using public transport for your commute.