Driving in the rain is not fun. Especially for us Californians. For some people, it truly is anxiety-producing. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are, on average, more than 1,000,000 automobile crashes, each year, due to wet pavement, resulting in approximately 5,000 deaths and 384,00
0 injuries.
A few tips for driving in a downpour:
- When conditions are less than ideal, drivers need to stay alert and focused on what’s going on around them. Stay off the phones and texting. Maintain low speed and keep your eyes on the road.
- Turn on your headlights! It’s the law in most states to turn on headlights when visibility is low. Also, make sure your windshield wipers work properly.
- Hydroplaning! That’s a technical term for what occurs when your tires are getting more traction on the layer of water on the road than on the road itself. Your car or truck can easily hydroplane: experts say, when this happens, gently ease your foot off the gas, gently squeeze your brakes to slow the vehicle down and transfer weight to the front tires.
- Turn off cruise control. Ironically, in the rain, cruise control may cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
- Make sure you check your tires and brakes before the rainy season begins.
- Lastly, leave earlier to your destination to minimze the stress of driving in the rain.