What to do if you encounter a sandstorm on the highway

Abstract: Sand and dust weather often occurs in the northern and northwest regions of my country. When the wind and sand are strong, outdoor billboards and green trees may be blown down, and visibility will be reduced. It is very bad for drivers and can easily increase the risk of accidents. So what should you do if you encounter a sandstorm on the highway? Let’s learn more about it together. What to do if you encounter a sandstorm on the highway

1. Pay attention to the use of car lights

The use of car lights in sandstorm weather is the same as that in foggy weather. When driving in sandy weather, you should turn on the width indicator. Turn on your lights, fog lights, and tail lights, reduce your speed, and honk your horn more often to warn vehicles in front, rear, left, and right. On ordinary roads in urban and suburban areas, you should drive as close to the center of the road as possible, especially small cars, and avoid parallel driving as much as possible to prevent being blown off the road by strong winds.

2. Pay attention to the change of wind direction

When the sandstorm wind is strong, pay attention to the impact of wind direction and wind force on driving. When the wind direction is in the same direction as the car, the braking distance of the car will be relatively longer due to the effect of the wind force, and the non-safety zone for braking will be enlarged; when the wind direction is in the opposite direction to the car, the wind force will act as a hindrance, which will reduce the vehicle speed and affect overtaking and meeting other vehicles. When the wind acts on the vehicle laterally, it can cause the steering radius to increase or the centrifugal force to increase, which can easily cause the vehicle to slide or roll over. Therefore, drivers must always pay attention to the different effects of wind on the vehicle due to changes in driving direction, and take corresponding preventive measures at any time.

3. Pay attention to pedestrians and slow down the vehicle

During driving, doors and windows should also be closed tightly to prevent dust from entering the car and the driver's eyes, thereby affecting operation. When the wind and dust are particularly heavy, the car should be parked upwind of the road with the front of the car facing away from the wind and dust. In addition, when a storm comes, sand and rocks are often flying around. Pedestrians just run to avoid the wind and forget about safety. At this time, the speed of the vehicle should be reduced and the movements of pedestrians should be closely observed. When driving on a dusty road, you should pay attention to pedestrians trying to get the upper hand to avoid the dust. You should slow down appropriately to raise as little dust as possible.

4. Be careful to avoid large trucks

In windy and sandy weather, road visibility is very low, only 70 to 100 meters, which is no less than foggy days. In addition to using fog lights and driving at a slower speed, drivers should also pay attention to avoid large trucks. When a small car overtakes a moving container truck, special attention should be paid to the impact of the lateral wind generated by the large truck on its own car. The driver should pay attention to the steering wheel; increase the overtaking distance appropriately; enter the overtaking lane in advance and confirm that it is safe before overtaking; when the car body is blown by the side wind, the driver can turn the steering wheel slightly to correct the direction of the car and overcome the risk of the cross wind. Influence, must not reincarnate significantly to avoid accidents.

5. Be careful to park away from balconies and billboards

Sandy and windy days are strong, and buildings and outdoor advertisements often collapse. Vehicles that are smashed are not covered by insurance claims. It is recommended that car owners intentionally avoid risks when parking and stay away from buildings, advertisements, and dead trees. If there is really no place to park, they should also try to stay away from balconies and windows to prevent objects from falling and damaging the car. Moreover, in urban streets and between two buildings, just like wind vents in mountainous areas, the wind speed will increase significantly. Therefore, you must be particularly careful when crossing between tall buildings or narrow passages.

6. Pay attention to the internal circulation mode of the air conditioner

The external circulation mode of the automobile air conditioning system sucks air from outside the car, and then cools or cools the air through the compressor or heater water tank. After heating, it is blown into the car through a blower. Generally, vehicles are equipped with a dust filter at the air inlet to purify the air sucked into the vehicle, and the dust filter is essentially a dust filter for the air. Under normal circumstances, the dust content in the air is not high. Using external circulation mode can make the air in the car fresher. However, in sandy weather, if the external circulation mode is used, a large amount of dust will be blocked in the dust filter. It is easy to cause damage to the dust filter itself or poor filtration. Therefore, in sandy weather conditions, the internal circulation system must be used.

Precautions for traveling in sandstorm weather

1. When traveling in sandstorm weather, pay attention to check whether the windows have been sealed and whether the sealing strips are cracked or degummed, so as to Replace it in time to prevent sand and dust from getting into the car while driving and affecting driving safety.

2. Pay attention to keeping a distance between vehicles. Do not follow the vehicle too closely during sandstorms. Allow time for reaction to deal with emergencies. In addition, it can also prevent the dust raised by the vehicle in front from obstructing the line of sight and reduce the occurrence of accidents.

3. Use car lights and horns to remind you. Try to turn on small lights when driving during the day in sandstorm weather, and use horns to remind pedestrians and vehicles when necessary; when driving at night in sandstorm weather, you should use anti-dazzling low beam lights to avoid Sight is affected by a blinding light curtain.

4. Pay attention to avoid pedestrians, carefully observe the situation on the roadside, and prevent pedestrians from suddenly running to the other side of the road to avoid the dust raised by vehicles when vehicles approach.

5. Pay attention to avoid large vehicles and vehicles driven by sand and dust. Once you encounter special vehicles such as trailers, tankers and hazardous chemicals, you must stay far away.

6. When parking, choose a safe location. In sandstorm weather, the car should be parked upwind of the road, with the front of the car facing away from the wind and sand, and the blinds half-closed to prevent fine sand particles from being sucked into the cylinder by the engine and accelerating wear of the parts; Park your car away from buildings, fences, and construction enclosures, and as far away from balconies and windows as possible to avoid falling objects from high altitudes and damaging your car.