We all love the sound of rain, the smell of the earth that erupts, the flourishing green trees and lawns and, above all, the air of expectation for an enhanced life that grips everyone.

While there are a lot of benefits to humanity brought by rain, we have to always bear in mind that the rainy season can bring with it a host of trouble.

It can lead to death or permanent injury, while there are other problems that linger well after the spell is gone.

As the rains started falling this week, with meteorologists predicting more as the season is expected to receive normal-to-above normal rains, it is prudent that people are aware of the dangers that lurk.

Precautions should be taken as heavy rains can cause widespread weather hazards resulting in heavy damage to both humans and the environment.

Motorists have in the past fallen victim of the rainy weather after failing to prepare their vehicles in advance of the rainy season. In some cases, some find at the last minute that their wipers are not working properly, that their tyres cannot provide good traction and their brakes no longer have a tight grip.

These are some of the areas vehicles owners should be pre-occupied with so that when the rains increase they do not find themselves being involved in mishaps.

Vehicle owners should be aware that rains impede visibility, especially during the night, or when it gets darker due to heavy cloud cover, so they must always ensure that their headlights are in excellent condition.

Speeding is always dangerous, but it becomes more lethal when the weather conditions are not favourable and this has resulted in some motorists veering off the road unexpectedly.

Slowing down to the minimum speed or pulling off the road in heavy rains will always save a life.

For those on the highway, one of the important safety precautions is to drive a safe distance from heavy vehicles which can splash so much water with the potential to totally impair the driver’s visibility.

The other important tip is for drivers not to attempt crossing flooded rivers, despite how shallow the water might appear.

In the past, we have witnessed many deaths as lorries and buses were swept away after drivers tried to drive through flooded bridges after underestimating the strength of the water current.

And around now, at the beginning of the season tarred roads are extra slippery with that thin layer of rubber particles, oil droplet and other greasy dirt that has been building up over the dry months. They are soon washed away, but can cause extra accidents at the beginning of the season

Flooding in general, is another problem that the rainy season is likely to bring, and this calls for people to be extra careful and take precautionary measures before disaster strike.