Useful features to help drivers drive in the rain

Set driving mode

This is a common feature on new car models, from popular to high-end. Common driving modes are normal, fuel-saving, sport or bad weather.

With bad weather driving mode, the car will usually reduce throttle sensitivity, maintain high gear, low rpm, helping the car not accelerate too suddenly causing the wheels to slip. In addition, the ABS braking system can be more sensitive when setting bad weather driving mode.

Automatic wipers

The automatic wiper system works through a sensor that detects water droplets on the top of the windshield. The speed of the wiper will operate according to the amount of water on the windshield and the speed of the vehicle. This is a simple feature that has appeared for a long time, helping the driver to concentrate more on driving when moving in bad weather conditions, instead of having to constantly adjust the speed of the wiper.

4 wheel drive

Four-wheel drive (AWD or 4WD) is a common feature for sport utility vehicles, to move more easily on bad, muddy, slippery roads, because traction is significantly improved when all four wheels are powered, compared to only two wheels with vehicles with only one axle.

Therefore, 4-wheel drive is a useful feature in heavy rain and flooded roads, helping drivers feel more confident when driving, and minimizing wheel slippage when the car runs through puddles.

Some vehicles use full-time automatic 4WD, meaning the driver doesn’t need to do anything else when it rains. Others allow you to switch between 4WD and 2WD, usually with a separate knob or lever.

With these models, when moving on normal streets, you only need to use 2-wheel drive mode (one axle) to save fuel, when it rains, you should switch to 4-wheel drive mode (2 axles) quickly to move. More severe modes such as slow 2 axles, rear differential lock... are only used for off-road.

Electronic balance

The electronic stability control system helps the vehicle stay in the direction the driver wants when accelerating, cornering, braking and moving on the road. The system works by collecting signals from longitudinal acceleration sensors, lateral acceleration sensors, wheel speed sensors... to determine the actual state of motion.

The computer then compares these parameters with the steering wheel angle. If there is a difference between the vehicle body angle and the steering wheel angle, the system will intervene by reducing engine power or activating brakes on some wheels to bring the vehicle back to the desired state.

When it rains and the car moves quickly through a puddle, the wheels may experience hydroplaning. At this time, the electronic vehicle stability system can clearly recognize which wheel is slipping, by observing the abnormality in the rotation speed of the wheel, for example, the slipping wheel, losing friction will rotate faster than the wheel that is gripping the road surface.

Thereby, the system will automatically reduce power, or automatically brake at the position of the slipping wheel, minimizing the loss of control of the vehicle.

Anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD)

Anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a feature that is almost mandatory on every car sold today. The brake works by squeezing and releasing the brake continuously, usually dozens of times in a second, helping the wheels to stay on the road when braking suddenly, reducing speed safely, limiting the situation of the wheels being locked, causing the car to skid, losing control when braking on slippery roads.

Similar to ABS, electronic brake force distribution (EBD) is also a common feature on cars. When driving on the road, the grip on the wheels is different, so the braking force to the wheels must also be different for the car to stop effectively, the braking force is not too little but not too much.

For example, when driving on a rainy road, the left wheel side is flooded with water, the right wheel side is just wet. At this time, if the braking force is equal on all wheels, the car tends to move towards the side with higher grip, making it easier for the driver to lose control.

The EBD system will now intervene, distributing just enough braking force to each wheel, helping the vehicle to slow down safely and not swerve to any side.