For the most part, wet weather driving in Australia comes down to getting the easy things done in good time: put on your headlights as you should, give yourself room, slow up and do not be foolish with floodwater. To put it plainly, when the rain is coming down here the prudent thing is to drive to the conditions, put at least four seconds between you and the car ahead, make no sudden moves with the steering or brakes and if the road is untrustworthy because of flooding or poor visibility, then don’t make the trip.
I am Imogen Weatherby and one can be forgiven for thinking all wet roads are created equal but that is where many an Australian driver is made out. A steady winter downpour will not be as treacherous as a light shower following weeks without rain, a country highway is less likely to be greasy than a roundabout in the suburbs and a pothole can be concealed under what looks like a harmless puddle. It calls for judgement in these parts, not showboating.
Why the rain makes a difference
It is not a case of just being “a little careful”. Your grip, braking and reaction times are altered, as is the behaviour of those around you. The peril is seldom a single dramatic element but rather a confluence of small issues. In Australia you will see the risk of a crash go up in the wet as tyres come adrift, windscreens fog and drivers misjudge their stopping distance while road markings are lost to the glare. For additional tips for driving scenic routes wet, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) is where you should be for radar and warnings; the official forecasts from the BoM are hard to beat.
What people get wrong
Overconfidence is number one. There are motorists who feel they are in no danger by virtue of a big vehicle or prior experience in the wet and familiarity with the road. But in Australia it is about margins and the rain has a way of narrowing them.
Then there is the matter of timing. The first rain after a dry spell will raise the oil and grime from the surface and you have what some call summer ice. The resulting slipperiness is well known in the outer suburbs and cities, particularly near tram lines, painted arrows and intersections.
The rules worth heeding
You stick to the basics to buy yourself time to see and to correct for another’s error. No driver can argue with physics in a heavy rain. Be smooth with everything you do, turn off the cruise control and widen your gap. Any abruptness and the road will have its way with you.
Speed, lights and how far back you are
Do not look for a universal speed for the rain. Where there is pooling water or traffic piling up, your safe speed will be some way under the limit, even on a motorway or a regional highway with a poor surface.
As for following distance, the 4 second rule is a sensible minimum. Find something fixed on the side of the road and as the car in front goes by start your count. Should you get to it in under four seconds you are closer than you ought to be; in heavy rain six is better.
Put on your low beams if the rain is affecting your view, day or night. A high beam will only reflect off the spray. Headlights let you see but they also let others make you out through the grey and the dirty glass.
See to the car
Much of the trouble you might have in the wet is present before you have put the key in. Worn tyres, wipers that smear and patchy lights are not going to be overlooked. I would say this is a chore until the day it is not. My own rule is straightforward: if you are talking about the rain, check the car. There is no need to be a mechanic, just honest.
Tyres, Wipers And Glass
Tyres are the first line of defence in wet weather. There is a reason tyre tread wet weather performance is of such import: the channels in the tread are there to move water aside and let the rubber make contact with the road. When tread depth is inadequate, you are inviting aquaplaning to take hold before you have any inkling that your grip has deserted you. A worn or uneven tyre should be put to rights prior to an extended journey in the wet, not in the aftermath of a close call. The likes of MW Tyres and NRMA Driver Training will tell you as much; they and other retailers make a point of insisting on proper condition, inflation and tread in rainy conditions.
Wiper blades are no good if they chatter, streak or leave parts of the windscreen unattended. They should do their job cleanly. Should they smear, it is time for new ones. And the glass itself must be spotless on both sides. All too often one cleans the exterior only to be left puzzling over why the night glare is so bad when rain and headlight beams mix with a bit of greasy film.
Before setting off, give the headlights, indicators, tail and brake lights a once over. In the rain technical functionality does not cut it; they have to be bright and stand out in the spray.
Quick Pre-Drive Check
- Make sure pressures are as the vehicle maker would have them and look at the sidewall and tread depth of the tyres.
- Windscreen needs clearing from the inside, as do the wipers and washer fluid.
- See that the demister, brake lights and low-beams are in order.
- Where applicable, have a word with the BOM radar or check for local warnings on the NSW SES, SES Victoria or Queensland Government road safety pages.
Stopping Takes Longer
The most obvious difference the rain makes is to your stopping distance. It is easy to underestimate, for at suburban speeds the car will seem perfectly normal until it is not. Grip can be gone in an instant.
With less traction and a tendency to apply the brakes later than is wise, the distance required to stop lengthens. Factor in reaction time and a little downhill run and what was a routine stop at the lights can become a shunt.
Realistic Braking Expectations
What follows is meant as practical guidance, not some blanket assurance. The table below will show you that a gap which is comfortable in dry weather may be all but marginal when it is wet. The variables are many, from the type of vehicle and load to how hard it is raining and the state of the tyres and road.
| Condition | Typical Risk Change | What To Do |
| Light rain after a dry spell | Oil and dust will make for a very slippery surface | Exercise due caution at roundabouts and intersections, do not steer abruptly and brake in good time |
| Steady rain on open road | You will have less grip from the tyres and need more room to stop | Put on some following distance of 4 seconds minimum and ease off the speed |
| Heavy rain with spray | Visibility down, risk of aquaplaning up | Low-beam headlights on, slow down, think about putting off the drive |
| Standing water | Loss of steering response, potholes you cannot see, hydroplaning | Do not presume the depth is safe and give pooled water a wide berth |
Allianz Australia and NRSPP are among the insurers and driver education bodies that put it in plain terms: even a moderate amount of rain has a material effect on how far you need to stop. The fundamentals are not complicated. With less grip you require more road.
See And Be Seen
It is the lack of visibility rather than the rain per se that is the deal-breaker. When you can no longer make out lane markings or a pedestrian or the brake lights of the car in front, an inconvenience has become something unsafe.
You might not find it glamorous but managing your visibility is your best defence. For the most part wet weather crashes are not like something out of an outback movie, they are just people not seeing what is in front of them in time.
Simple Visibility Wins
Put the demister on before the glass fogs. Organise the cabin airflow to keep moisture at bay. If the windscreen mists up with some wet gear or passengers in the back, attend to it right away instead of trying to peer through a hole the size of a tinnie stubby.
Low-beams are called for in highway spray or at dusk. Have the mirrors, side windows and windscreen clean. On a multilane road do not linger next to a truck or road train any longer than you have to, the spray will put an end to your view in short order.
Handle Aquaplaning Calmly
Prevention is largely a matter of having good tyres, keeping a sensible speed and smooth inputs well before the car is skimming over water. Then panic is what will get the better of you.
For those who have not been subjected to it, aquaplaning is unnerving. The car has a way of floating, the tyres cease to bite and the steering goes light. A real stomach-drop.
What To Do If It Happens
Do not put the brakes on hard unless an emergency and your vehicle’s systems call for it. A gentle release of the accelerator is in order, with the steering held firm in the direction you are heading. Harsh braking or a snap of the wheel will only complicate any recovery you have to make.
The error most are prone to is over “correcting”. Be patient instead. Allow the tyres to re-establish contact with the road before making your adjustments, and do so smoothly. And if you find yourself hydroplaning time and again on the motorway, the fact is you are exceeding what the conditions warrant.
Floodwater: Don’t Even Think About It
There is a fine line between inconvenience and real danger when it comes to driving through floodwater. From the driver’s seat one can have no idea what a flooded road has in store: open drains, surface damage, debris or a washout concealed by fast water. Optimism has no place here.
The message from the NSW SES, SES Victoria and the Queensland Government is clear for good reason; a flooded road is to be left alone. Make a U turn and put in some miles elsewhere.
Reassess Your Route
An engine can be stalled or the whole vehicle put adrift by even a shallow depth of water. What appears as flat as a pancake may well have a current running across it, which is more hazardous than a puddle in a car park. Then there is the prospect of mechanical or electrical damage down the track should you make it through.
On a regional run in the wet season, say in northern WA, inland Queensland or the Top End, factor in some extra time and plan for the odd closure. Detours can put serious kilometres on the day and mobile reception is not to be relied upon. In such circumstances the BOM, state traffic and local SES alerts are of more value than the sat nav.
Some Tips For The Scenic Route
A bit of rain can in short order turn a leisurely drive into something more technical. You will need to put more thought into winding coastal roads, forested ranges and lookouts with little shoulder than you would on a dry Sunday. Patience is always preferable to pace.
For sound advice on how to handle a scenic route in the wet, temper your expectations. Not covering as much ground or parking where intended is not a failing but good trip management.
Who we are talking to
The following is meant for the holidaymaker, the regional traveller or anyone who puts in their miles on bitumen and may come across standing water, fog, spray or a storm. Families and those on their own venturing onto uncharted country in the alpine foothills, Tasmania, the NSW hinterland, the Great Dividing Range or around coastal Victoria will find it of use.
It will not suffice for the likes of remote desert crossings, advanced off-roading or unsealed tracks that are under water in the Pilbara, the Top End or on access roads from main routes in the wet. Different rules apply if you are going off the beaten track.
What you think and what happens
You might expect to just take it easy and stick to the timetable. More often than not the rain makes every town entry, roadwork or overtaking lane a fussier affair and you will be behind schedule. With only a day to spare, forget the ambitious loop and go for the shortest, best-kept part of the route.
And while some would have you believe a large SUV is the answer, four-wheel drive will not stop you on a sealed wet road as readily as is supposed. A hatchback with decent tyres and a careful hand at the wheel is safer than a four-wheel drive with worn rubber in a hurry.
Logistically, top up the fuel before any regional leg, pick stops with proper sealed parking and get out in daylight. When the weather turns, do not press on in the hope it will pass; that is a mistake made from the Otways to the ranges west of Sydney. Turn back.
Local Support Worth Having
Before you set off, make sure you know your sources of information. You will find in Australia that road conditions, emergency response and the weather are the purview of a number of separate authorities; one does not stand in for the other.
To put it in plain English as Imogen Weatherby would: you look to the BoM for what is happening in the sky, the SES to let you know when things turn dangerous, and the state road authorities to inform you if the road is open or has been compromised.
Authorities Worth Checking
For your radar, forecasts and any context on flood weather there is the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). When storms or floods are about, the NSW and Victoria SES have the information on community safety. In the case of major rain or the summer storm season, the Queensland Government’s state traffic and road safety channels come in handy.
Then there are the likes of NRMA Driver Training, Allianz Australia and the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) which put out their share of sensible wet-weather reminders for driver education. As for Roads and Traffic Authorities or the Road Safety Commission, the nomenclature will differ from one state to another so use the official agency for where you are travelling. You may find checklists from Compass Cars and the like but make no mistake, the official weather and emergency agencies should be first port of call.
Final Takeaway
There is nothing fancy about the way to drive in the wet safely, it is a matter of discipline. Be slow, put some distance between you and the car ahead, have the vehicle in good order and do not trust water on the road. Heed the forecast and you will spare yourself a good deal of grief.
And if you are wondering whether to set off in bad weather, the answer is straightforward: with poor visibility, pooling water or an active flood warning, you are better off staying put. It is not worth putting your luck on the line for a work run or a bit of scenery on a road you can hardly see.
FAQ
A selection of the questions drivers in Australia tend to pose when it comes to the road rules and making travel decisions in wet weather. Rules can be subject to change and are not the same in every state so refer to the authority for your location.
What Are The New Road Rules In Australia For 2026?
Do not expect to find a new set of national rules that are the same across the board; they are enforced at state and territory level. Our advice is to go to the road authority in your state for the latest on camera compliance, speed enforcement, mobile phone use and restrictions for P-plate and learner drivers. As far as the wet goes, the old adage holds: drive to the conditions.
Can You Legally Sleep In Your Car In Australia?
It can be done, though local council or land-management rules will have the final say. While it is only sensible to rest rather than drive fatigued, some urban areas, reserves, private property or car parks by the beach will not allow it. Have a look at the signage and regulations before you make plans for the night.
Can You Drink Water While Driving In Australia?
Not per se, but you have to be in proper control of the vehicle. Should a drink or a bite to eat mean you are drifting or your steering and visibility are affected, you will be penalised. With the grip and visibility already at a premium in a downpour, keep distractions to an absolute minimum.
Where Does Australia Rank In Road Safety?
Any ranking is only as good as the measure and year being compared and the countries in the dataset, which are not static. Put more stock in an up to date report from an official or international source. One thing is constant: Australian authorities will continue to view speed, impairment, fatigue and the weather as prime causes of crashes.
Is Driving In Heavy Rain More Dangerous Than Light Rain?
More often than not, though not for the reasons one might suppose. The heavy stuff brings the aquaplaning risk and standing water and you can barely see. But after a long dry spell light rain is no less of a hazard with all the oil and grime it stirs up. Either way, the right thing to do is to lower your speed, leave a gap and forgo any heroics.