Rain Soaked Roads: Slippery When Wet
Though rain is blamed for a multitude of collisions every year, most of these accidents are avoidable and not the rain's fault at all. Rather, the true perpetrators of wet-road crashes are overconfident drivers failing to realize that they need to save their most vigilant driving for a rainy day.
Here are a few rainy day reminders for you to keep posted on your dashboard:
- Don't want higher insurance rates to rain on your parade? Give yourself larger space cushions with other vehicles so you have more time to slow down and never have to slam on your brakes.
- When it starts to rain, save your aggressive driving for another day. Oil and grease build up on the road over time and when it first rains, the first few hours are the slickest.
- And you thought regular traffic was bad! When it rains, traffic will be even more congested, so give yourself a few extra minutes (or hours) to get to your destination.
- Don't be shy, let other drivers see you. When it's raining, everyone's visibility is compromised. Remember to turn your headlights on and keep your windows defogged. Also, be on the lookout for cars without lights on, pedestrians, and other road obstacles that might get lost in the rainy shuffle.
- When the roads are wet, never use your cruise control - it's not the brightest idea when rain-soaked roads call for you to be practicing your most attentive driving. Not to mention that if you hydroplane while cruising, your car may abruptly accelerate out of control.
- If you can, avoid those puddles so you can avoid hydroplaning. If you do hydroplane, calmly take your foot off the gas and hold the steering wheel firm until your car regains traction with the road. Don't panic or slam the brakes!
- Unless you drive a hovercraft, the inner lanes of the road are probably your best bet. Most roads slope downward toward the curb where you'll find those deep, hard to avoid puddles.
As long as raindrops keep falling on the hood of your car, there will inevitably be days when driving conditions are less than perfect. It would be great if you could stay off the roads when the weather gets nasty, but the reality is that you have places to be and people to see. Just remember that not all driving conditions were created equal, and when it comes to wet roads, you need to be on your best driving behavior!