When it’s wet we all know that stopping distances are increased. So, we should drive slower and allow more distance to stop the car. There are many reasons stopping distances are increased in wet weather but let’s just stick with one, the film of water between the tyre and the road surface. The job of the tyre is to push the water away from the road to allow the tyre to make contact with the road surface. The weight of the car is a factor here as well as the tyre having a sufficient depth of tread to cope with moving the water away. In fact the minimum tread depth, of a tyre, for dispersing water is 2mm. That is 0.4mm above the minimum legal tyre tread depth. When it’s windy we should also slow down as wind gets underneath the car and therefore has the effect of making the car lighter. Smaller cars feel the effect of the wind more because of their lighter weight. We’ve all experienced the sudden deviation, to the car, caused by a strong gust of wind. Drivers also need to be aware of flying debris on windy days. This can include branches from trees and road signs. Keeping the speed down and good tread on your tyres will allow more time to take evasive action safely. So, windy and wet weather means extra caution, slow down, and take more care. Better to arrive safely than not at all.