Tech

Driving in the rain can quickly become an unsafe experience. Heavy rains bring with them slippery roads, reduced visibility, waterlogging, puddles, and hydroplaning, which can lead to road accidents. To add to this, rains have become erratic over time. The recent cloudbursts in Uttarakhand and Kerala are testament to it. Between October 15th and October 20th, Uttarakhand and Kerala witnessed torrential downpours causing landslides and floods in many areas. Several people lost their lives due to this sporadic turn of events. Needless to say, it is important to ensure safety, especially if you are driving a vehicle in such circumstances. 4 Effective Safety Tips for Driving in the Rain Wondering how you can make driving in the rain safer? Here are some tips to help you out. Switch on the windshield wipers Heavy rains can severely hamper visibility on roads, so ensure your front and rear wipers are switched on to keep the windshield clean at all times. Switch on the AC as well for better vision. This helps in reducing fogging due to a lack of air circulation. Additionally, steer clear of large vehicles on highways. The large tires usually spray water during the rains, reducing visibility even further. Don't go recklessly fast A 2020 study by the U.S Department of Transportation reveals that 57% of weather-related accidents occur during monsoon. Hydroplaning followed by loss of control on wet roads is responsible for a large portion of these accidents. Drive slower than usual when it’s raining. This way, you have enough time to regain control in case of a skid. Avoid water-logged areas Water can fill up in potholes and roadsides during heavy rains causing large puddles to form. Driving through them risks splashing water into your windshield, reducing visibility, or worse, damaging the car engine. So, avoid potholes, and drive in the middle of the lane as much as possible. Leave a safe distance between vehicles Remember, when you’re on the road, you never drive in isolation. Hence, always keep a safe following distance from other vehicles, and watch out for brake lights. This allows you to safeguard yourself from a possible collision even if the vehicle ahead stops abruptly. Common issues parking lots face during heavy rainfall Most people prefer parking their cars inside parking lots during heavy rains to protect their vehicles from damage. This leads to a surge in off-site indoor parking. In such a scenario, a manual parking system turns inefficient due to the time taken to distribute parking spots, leading to further congestion. To add to it, many parking lots are located in basements of buildings, which is why they experience flooding during heavy rain. Also, monitoring flood water levels and implementing drainage systems manually is time-consuming. Hence, many lots are switching to smart parking systems. Let us take a look at how smart parking systems alleviates these issues. IoT-based smart parking system helps manage parking during heavy rains An IoT-based smart parking system is equipped with sensors that typically identify if a parking spot is occupied by a vehicle. These can be used to monitor flood-water levels too. This allows prompt flood detection and instant relaying of the alert to the parking manager. Once the alert is received, the managers can quickly deploy people to set up curbs to prevent water inflow and open additional drains (if any) inside the lot. Read Also: Tips for Practicing Social Distancing at Parking Lots Additionally, IoT-based parking systems speed up parking bay allotment by automating it. The data about the available spots are shared via a virtual database to the lot manager, who can assign them immediately. Alternatively, some software automatically allots spots based on availability too. This saves a significant amount of time, thereby preventing congestion in parking lots. Parting thoughts If you are a parking lot owner or manager looking for a smart system that keeps your lot running smoothly during torrential rain or otherwise, Get My Parking offers IoT-based products to manage your parking woes. Using this system, you can control and integrate your car parks, equipment, and transactions across all touchpoints effectively. It also offers speedy customizations and integrates well with any existing system, making the shift to a smart system smoother. To get more information about our smart parking mechanism, visit our site today!