by Rachel NaborsThe weather had been quite stormy all last week, with wind and rain. The wind never tried to blow my smart car around like it did on 540 the other day. I think that must have been an exceptionally ferocious wind that day. But I haven’t had problems handling her in the wind since.
On driving a smart car in the rain
You may recall that I used to drive a 1995 Ford Escort station wagon by the name of “Ruby” which my mother passed to me when she bought a RAV4 Honda CRV. Although I loved that car like a dear member of the family, I admit that I was absolutely terrified of driving her when it was raining. Her braking distance was poor, that was the main problem. How many times would I come to a stop just before making contact? I’m a very cautious driver, and I don’t speed in the rain. She just didn’t perform well in the wet.
Roxi, my new smart car, does a way better job of braking and driving in the rain. I actually look forward to getting into her because she is so dry and warm and cozy. I like to open the moon roof for a little ambient lighting and just enjoy the drive.
The major improvement between my old Ford and my smart car has got to be the antilock brake system. All smart cars come with ABS. They also have something called ESP, which smart defines as “Electronic Stability Program… When the esp® sensors indicate a skid or swerving of your car, they automatically control the engine throttle and the Anti-Lock brakes to maintain your present course. Also integral to the esp® safety system is Electronic Brake-Force Distribution Control (EBD), which helps to prevent the rear wheels from over-braking.” She also anticipates how much force to use when I brake by how quickly I put my foot on the pedal. If there’s a long time between my foot leaving the gass and my foot touching the brake, I’m not in an emergency situation and normal braking pressure can be applied. But if I switch pedal quickly, in a reactionary way, she anticipates that I will need a greater amount of braking force and adjusts accordingly. (I remember THAT was fun during the test drive, because I was so nervouse I would shift quickly, and she would brake hard!)
There are lots of reasons (most of them being acronyms) why my smart fortwo handles better in the rain and on wet surfaces than my old Ford, and you can read all about said safety features in smartUSA’s safety section.
In spite of all these safety features, I still know it’s important to slow down in the rain. Other people in their bigger cars seem to think 75mph is okay on a highway in a storm. But as they pass me be, I remember the words of my fiance, “You feel safe doing those speeds in those conditions, but you aren’t. It’s not until you lose control for the first time that you realize what kind of danger you’re putting yourself and others in.”
So please, slow down in the rain.
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