Travel safety advice during stormy season, slippery roads

According to the update of the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), from 7:00 p.m. on May 23 to 6:00 a.m. on May 24, 2025, the mountainous areas of the North and North Central regions will have rain from 40-80mm.

Some heavy rain stations such as: Cam Giang (Hai Duong) 106mm; Luc Binh (Bac Kan) 104mm; Linh Phu (Tuyen Quang) 89mm; Thinh Hung (Yen Bai) 82mm; Na Ngoi (Nghe An) 146mm; Con Cuong (Nghe An) 86mm.

Heavy rain caused landslides at 56 traffic routes in Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Tuyen Quang with a total volume of 5,883m3; a temporary bridge in Y Ty commune, Bat Xat district, Lao Cai was washed away.

To ensure traffic safety during the rainy and stormy season, the Traffic Safety Committee recommends that drivers pay special attention on steep mountain passes and complex mixed terrain.

When driving through a flooded area, be careful to avoid it. If you notice that the water level is dangerous, you should not drive. Drivers need to wait patiently for the water to recede before crossing.

When driving through steep mountain passes, drivers need to regularly update information through the media to choose other routes to avoid landslides.

In case of landslides, the driver needs to get off the road to check how high the landslide is, and whether the vehicle can pass or not. From there, make a decision to continue or stop, to avoid getting stuck in a dilemma, which can cause serious consequences.

On rocky mountain roads, vehicle owners should pay attention to road vibrations and loud noises. If you notice small rocks or debris on the road, you should pay special attention because these locations are at high risk of landslides.

Traffic jams often occur on steep mountain passes during the rainy season. Drivers should be careful not to drive too close to the vehicle in front to avoid any unfortunate situations.

On flooded roads, drive in the middle of the lane because the sides are often low and have higher water levels.

Avoid driving near large trucks, as water from large wheels can obstruct visibility and cause danger. Also ensure the vehicle’s ability to pass, do not attempt to pass on curves or in areas with limited visibility.

In curve conditions, slippery and wet road surface, when braking suddenly, the vehicle is likely to skid, lose control, and easily lead to an accident.

Drivers need to pay attention to some driving techniques such as: keeping distance, avoiding heavy trucks and turning on headlights when driving.

Turn on the lights and go in low gear, steady throttle.

When it rains, car owners should turn on fog lights, position lights or low beam lights. Because in bad weather conditions, visibility is reduced, which can easily cause accidents. Turning on the lights helps oncoming vehicles as well as vehicles in the same direction to be easily seen.

When driving in flooded areas, keep the engine speed (rpm) high and steady to avoid water entering the exhaust pipe, causing the car to "die". For manual transmission vehicles, keep it in first gear, and for automatic transmission vehicles with gears D1, D2... shift to D1.

Note that when the water level reaches half the tire, it means that it has reached the limit that should not be crossed. For high-chassis vehicles, it is possible to pass but do not let the water overflow the front of the car into the air vents and engine.

Turn off all loads, calmly handle the dead car

When the vehicle goes downhill, it needs a lot of traction. At this time, it is necessary to turn off all the accessories such as air conditioning, sound system, etc. to reduce the load on the engine.

If the car unfortunately stalls, you need to assess the situation accurately. If there are no signs of flooding, you need to calmly restart the engine. In case of flooding, leave the car to a safe place and call for help. Do not try to restart the car to avoid water hammer.

And finally, you should save at least 1 rescue phone number, make sure you save the correct number and that the rescue center is still operating. It is best to prepare the necessary rescue phone numbers in the places you pass through before your trip.