Many people try to open the retractable roofs of their convertibles while driving. It is better to avoid this because it can cause accidents.
Can You Open Convertible Roof While Driving? You should not open the convertible roof while driving because it reduces focus, opens improperly, decreases the brake lights’ visibility, enhances the effect of air resistance, and increases blind spots. However, you can open it by pushing the electric button if you are driving below 30 mph.
You can open its roof in the parking lots when the car is not moving. In such circumstances, they can open without reducing the protection of the driver and passengers.
Why you should not open a convertible roof while driving?
Opening its retractable roof is not safe when you are driving the car. You should not open it while driving due to these mentioned reasons.
Reduces driving focus
The convertibles have soft and hard retractable roofs that have button-regulated control properties.
In such circumstances, removing your hands from the steering wheel reduces the focus. Safety decreases when the focus reduces from the standard limit.
Do not open the convertible roof while you drive the vehicle on city roads and highways. You have to be more careful if it has a sunroof.
But, it is not advisable because of the focus reduction, which decreases safety. You should remove the hands from the steering wheel because it decreases control.
Furthermore, it leads to various accidents and sudden collisions. It is better to keep your hands on the steering wheels for maximum control over the vehicle.
Also, you should avoid pushing the button to open it because it increases driver safety.
Improper opening
You can push the button of the convertible roof for its retraction and opening. However, you cannot do it while driving a car because it does not retract properly.
It happens because the electric power is distributed to different electrically working vehicle components. As a result, the button does not send stable signals to the hardtop of your vehicle.
It moves forward and backward due to these internal electric problems. In such circumstances, the driver’s focus shifts from the steering wheel and road to hardtop movement.
This reduces the visibility, which affects the protection level of the vehicle and driver.
The electric current consumption increases and enhances the pressure on the engine. In such circumstances, the emissions and fuel loss increase from the standard level.
Low visibility of brake lights
You cannot cover the brake lights while driving a car. Hiding the brake lights is a significant violation of road safety law, and police can pull over the drivers.
Therefore, you cannot open the retractable hardtop of your convertible when you drive it because the hardtop can hide the brake lights. It reduces their visibility for the other road drivers, which leads to various accidents.
Police stop and pull over the drivers when the brake lights lose visibility. The retractable hardtop can cover the brake indicators for a few seconds.
But, it is a violation of standard road safety laws. So, violation leads to sudden fines and punishments, which is frustrating and time-consuming for the driver.
You cannot cover these brake indicators for a few seconds because their visibility decreases for other drives. Covering the brake lights at night causes various accidents, and the vehicle frame undergoes damage.
More effect of air resistance
Several individuals drive their cars at high-speed conditions on city roads and highways. However, do not open the retractable convertible roof when driving at a fast speed.
Its opening at high speed can increase the effect of air resistance. The air drag enhances, which reduces the vehicle acceleration.
In such circumstances, you cannot drive it at high speed on the highways and other smooth roads. The higher air drag affects its stability, which increases accidents.
Furthermore, its reduced momentum is dangerous for other drivers and road pedestrians. The effect of air resistance increases and reduces its momentum at slow speeds.
Moreover, it cannot stabilize on smooth roads and stable surfaces. The high air drag can pull it towards turns and corners.
Its stability reduces further, and the car collides with pedestrians and other vehicles.
Excessive blind spots
The convertible roofs retract and fold in the rear of your car, but you cannot open them when you drive the vehicle at top acceleration. Opening it is not advisable when the vehicle is in motion because it can increase the blind spot.
The large blind spots can cover the vehicles on the rear. Also, the driver cannot see the other cars and pedestrians.
It is not advisable to open it when you drive your convertible on a highway. The large blond spots reduce car safety and cause more accidents.
It is not advisable when you drive your car on highways. The large blind spots on the highways can reduce the visibility of rear vehicles.
It leads to accidents that are severe and damage the car frame.
How can you open a convertible roof while driving?
You can open the retractable roof of your convertible when you drive the car. However, it is possible to open it at a specific speed range.
In addition, the latest cars have more advancement, which allows you to open the hardtop while driving the car. However, the hardtop has a button-regulated control that works with the electric circuit of the car.
The electrical mechanism of the button sends electrically regulated signals to the convertible roof when you push the button.
In such circumstances, you can decrease the car’s speed to 31 miles per hour. It is better to reduce the speed to 25 miles per hour when opening the convertible hardtop during driving conditions.
Moreover, you can stop the old and traditional cars in parking to open the hardtop.
You can check the seats of the car’s rear side and remove all the valuables from it while opening the retractable roof of your car when driving.
Furthermore, it is better to clean the dust particles and grime from the upper side of the hardtop before its retraction. You can find a latch on the cabin mirror and hold the latch.
Then, moving the latch toward the vehicle windshield causes its rotations to a clockwise direction, which can open the convertible top when you drive the car at 31 miles per hour.
Which cars allow you to open the convertible roof while driving?
A few of the latest cars allow you to open the retractable roof of the convertible while driving them. For example, you can open the hardtop of the Audi S5 while driving it.
However, opening it is possible when you drive the car at 30 miles per hour or at a lower speed than this range.
Audi S5 is a coupe convertible with 4-door designs and a 3.0L V6 with a retractable hardtop, which you can open while driving the car. You can also dye the convertible top to make it look good.
Also, you can open the hardtop of the BMW 6 series while driving it at around 25 to 30 miles per hour. Opening the roof of Mercedes Benz convertibles is possible while driving them at different speeds.
However, it is better to maintain 30 miles per hour or lower speed while opening their hardtops because it increases the safety and driving focus.
Infiniti G37 allows you to open its roof while driving the car below 30 miles per hour.
