Picture this: you've picked up a GO2GO car to get from Podil to the Left Bank. It's drizzling — and within minutes, it's a downpour. Or worse: you wake up to a Kyiv covered in wet snow, and the roads haven't had time to drain overnight.

If you mostly drive in good weather and don't own a car, this article is for you. We'll walk through exactly how to handle a carsharing vehicle in rain, snow and ice — so your trip stays smooth instead of ending in a fine, a crash or a very bad day.

Before You Drive: 5 Minutes That Could Save Your Trip

While the car is still parked, run through a few quick checks in the app and in person:

• Check the tyres. GO2GO vehicles are fitted with weather-appropriate tyres in cold months — but if you notice heavy wear on a tyre, it's worth choosing another car nearby.
• Test the wipers. Lift them, switch them to full speed — if they smear or skip across the glass, your visibility in rain is already compromised.
• Test the washer fluid. Spray it and make sure the jets hit the windscreen, not the air above it.
• Check the lights. Walk around the car and confirm all lights — headlights, brake lights, indicators — are working.
• Look for a scraper and brush. In winter they're usually in the boot. If the windscreen is iced over or covered in snow, clear it completely before you start. Driving with a hand-sized peephole is dangerous and illegal.

📲 Tip: photograph any damage or defects you find and report them to GO2GO support through the app immediately. This protects you from being charged for damage you didn't cause.

Rain: When Water Becomes Your Enemy

It's just a bit of rain — how bad can it be? As it turns out, wet roads account for up to 30% of all urban accidents. Three things are responsible: reduced visibility, longer braking distances and aquaplaning.

What Is Aquaplaning — in Plain English

Aquaplaning happens when a thin layer of water builds up between your tyre and the road surface — and the tyre starts to float. When it does, you lose steering and braking control completely. The car simply goes wherever it was already heading. It typically starts at around 80 km/h, but in puddles a few centimetres deep, it can happen at 60.

What to Do in the Rain

Slow down by 20–30%. If the speed limit says 60, your safe speed in heavy rain is closer to 40–45 km/h. Don't worry about what other drivers think — nobody is giving you a ticket for being cautious.

Increase your following distance. On dry roads, the two-second rule applies. On wet roads, go to four seconds minimum. Here's how: when the car ahead passes a lamppost or a sign, count "one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand" — you should reach that same point only after you finish counting.

Use your headlights, even during the day. It's not so you can see better — it's so others can see you.

Go around puddles, not through them. Large puddles can hide potholes, broken kerbs or collapsed drain covers. Kyiv streets after a heavy rain are unpredictable at the best of times.

If you start to aquaplane — don't slam the brakes and don't jerk the wheel. Simply ease off the accelerator, hold the wheel steady and wait for the tyres to grip again. It takes one to two seconds, but it will feel much longer.

Kyiv Spots to Watch in the Rain

• Andriyivsky and Mykhailivsky descents — steep slope plus wet cobblestones is a difficult combination.
• Bridges and flyovers (Pivdennyi, Metro, Darnytskyy) — wind funnels water and creates standing pools.
• Tunnels (Pechersk, Bessarabka) — the sudden change from dark to light on exit, combined with a wet road, catches a lot of drivers off guard.

Snow: When Kyiv Becomes a City-Sized Ice Rink

The first snowfall in Kyiv is always chaotic. The roads aren't ready, the drivers aren't ready, and winter tyres sell out overnight. If you've taken a GO2GO car on exactly that kind of morning, you'll need to drive very differently than usual.

The Golden Rule: Everything Smooth

On snow, your three biggest enemies are sharp braking, sharp acceleration and sharp steering. Think of it this way: pretend there's a raw egg under both the accelerator and the brake pedal, and you can't crack it.

Getting Moving from a Standstill

If the car is sitting in snow, don't floor the accelerator. The wheels will spin in place and dig you in deeper. Instead, pull away as gently as possible — on a manual, try starting in second gear; on an automatic, feather the accelerator with the lightest touch you can manage. A slight left-right movement of the steering wheel can also help the tyres find a slightly firmer surface.

Braking on Snow

Most modern cars — including virtually all carsharing vehicles — are equipped with ABS. If you need to stop urgently, press the brake pedal firmly and hold it down. The pedal will pulse back at you — that's normal, ABS is doing its job. Don't release it. Keep steady pressure until you stop.

⚠️ Important: ABS does not shorten your stopping distance on snow. It only allows you to steer while braking. On a snowy road, your stopping distance can be two to three times longer than on dry asphalt. Plan your following distance accordingly.

What to Do If the Car Starts to Slide

This is the moment most beginner drivers dread: you turn the wheel — and the rear of the car swings out to the side.

If the rear slides out:

1. Don't hit the brakes — it will make the skid worse.
2. Ease off the accelerator smoothly.
3. Steer in the direction the rear is sliding (this is called counter-steering).
4. As the car straightens up, gradually return the wheel to your intended direction.

It sounds technical, but it's really muscle memory. The honest advice: don't let it get to this point. Slow down before turns, not during them.

Kyiv Hills to Be Wary Of

• The descents off Pechersk and Podil (Mykhailivska, Andriyivska, Volodymyrska) — in bad winters, traffic often flows only downhill because nobody can get up.
• Underground car park exits at shopping centres — ice forms there even when the rest of the city is clear.
• Bridges and overpasses — they freeze first and thaw last.

Ice: The Most Dangerous Road Condition of All

Ice is not snow. Ice is when the road looks wet — maybe slightly shiny — but is actually coated in a thin film of frozen water. Tyre grip drops to almost nothing. This is the single most dangerous driving condition you can encounter.

How to Tell If the Road Is Icy

• Temperature is hovering around 0°C after recent rain or wet snow.
• A car ahead of you suddenly swerves or fishtails.
• Pedestrians are shuffling along carefully in short steps.
• Your tyres sound quieter and duller than usual.

How to Drive on Ice

Keep your speed very low. In the city, stay around 30–40 km/h. On open roads, no more than 60.

Leave an even bigger gap than in rain. Aim for a minimum of six seconds to the car ahead.

Stay out of the outer lanes. The middle of the road gives you more space if the car begins to drift before you can react.

Use engine braking. Instead of pressing the brake, simply lift off the accelerator and let the car slow naturally. On a manual, downshift to a lower gear.

Don't copy what other drivers do. If the car in front handles a bend at speed, that doesn't mean you can. They may have better tyres, or they may have just been lucky.

If You're Involved in an Accident in Bad Weather

This is a topic for a full separate article, but the short version:

1. Don't step onto the road without a high-visibility vest. It should be in the GO2GO boot.
2. Set out the warning triangle — at least 20 metres behind the car in the city, 40 on a highway.
3. Photograph everything — damage, road conditions, road signs, the other vehicle's plates, and the weather itself. Yes, the weather too.
4. Call GO2GO support immediately. The operator will guide you through next steps. Don't try to settle anything informally with another driver without involving the police, unless it's a genuine minor scrape with no dispute.
5. Don't leave the vehicle until support tells you it's okay.

Pre-Drive Checklist for Bad Weather

Save this before your first winter trip:

• Wipers and washer fluid checked
• All windows, mirrors and lights cleared of snow and ice
• Speed reduced at least 20% from normal
• Following distance increased
• Headlights on
• GO2GO support number saved in your phone

The Bottom Line: Slower Is Faster

The core rule of driving in bad weather is simple — and it works: don't rush. Arriving ten minutes late is always better than arriving in a tow truck.

One of the things that makes GO2GO genuinely useful is that you only pay for the time you're actually in the car. If the weather looks bad, end the trip, wait it out in a nearby café, and continue when conditions improve. There's no penalty for being sensible.

The most dangerous days in Kyiv are when the temperature sits right at zero. That's when black ice forms — invisible, unpredictable, and responsible for countless crashes every winter. Check the forecast before you go. It takes ten seconds.

Drive carefully — and may your first time in winter traffic be completely uneventful. 🚗❄️