Driving in the rain requires a certain amount of caution because it can be very dangerous.
Here are some helpful tips for rainy day driving:
- When driving on the freeway, drive in the center lanes as water tends to pool in the outside lanes.
- Turn on your headlights. It will help you see better on foggy or rainy days and it will help other drivers see you.
- Increase your following distance and watch for brake lights ahead. Never follow too close.
- Slow down, it takes longer to stop in wet weather. Plus the faster you drive, the greater the chances of hydroplaning.
- Drive slowly through any puddle of uncertain depth. That way if it’s deeper than you thought, you can still back out.
- Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it.
- Turn on your wipers at a good speed to keep up with the rain that is falling.
- Use Rain-X on your car and rain will begin to bead on your car making it easier to see out of your car and allowing rain to more easily drop off of your car.
- Turn up the heat or AC to your defrosters if your windows are fogging up.
- If you lose control and hydroplane, remember to steer into the direction of the skid which is the direction in which you are moving, not away from. This will help control the skidding. Also, remember to brake before going around a curve.
- If you do drive through very deep water you run the risk of stalling your car. In the event that your car stalls you will want to have someone pull your vehicle out. If you drive into a flooded area your car could potentially be swept away.
- Check your tires regularly so that they are in good shape to handle driving in the rain and on slick surfaces. If you do not have any tread on your tires then you will skid easier and you could end up hydroplaning, so it’s very important that you check your tires tread regularly.
- Use your emergency blinkers if the rain is so heavy that people may have difficulty seeing you.
- If possible stay off the road during thunderstorms and other violent storms. If you are caught in a heavy downpour, a thunderstorm or violent weather, pull over to the side of the road, put on your emergency blinkers and wait out the storm. Listen to the radio for emergency broadcast information.
