What should you be aware of when you're overtaking on a motorway while it's raining heavily?

What should you be aware of when you're overtaking on a motorway while it's raining heavily?

• A. Your braking distances will be reduced
• B. There'll be distracting bright reflections
• C. Manhole covers will be slippery
• D. Visibility will be reduced by spray from traffic

Answer: (D)

When overtaking on a motorway in heavy rain, the main risk is reduced visibility caused by spray from traffic ahead. This spray creates a haze that makes it hard to see the vehicle you’re overtaking, judge its speed and distance, and spot oncoming traffic or gaps in the lane you’re moving into. Because your view is obscured, you’re less able to judge when it’s safe to complete the pass and return to your lane, increasing the chance of a misjudgment or collision. It’s not that braking distances become shorter—in fact, wet surfaces increase stopping distances due to reduced grip—so the idea that braking would be reduced isn’t correct. Bright reflections can occur on wet surfaces, and manhole covers can be slippery when wet, but the immediate, vehicle-specific hazard while overtaking is the reduced visibility from spray.

When overtaking on a motorway in heavy rain, the main risk is reduced visibility caused by spray from traffic ahead. This spray creates a haze that makes it hard to see the vehicle you’re overtaking, judge its speed and distance, and spot oncoming traffic or gaps in the lane you’re moving into. Because your view is obscured, you’re less able to judge when it’s safe to complete the pass and return to your lane, increasing the chance of a misjudgment or collision.

It’s not that braking distances become shorter—in fact, wet surfaces increase stopping distances due to reduced grip—so the idea that braking would be reduced isn’t correct. Bright reflections can occur on wet surfaces, and manhole covers can be slippery when wet, but the immediate, vehicle-specific hazard while overtaking is the reduced visibility from spray.