How can you stay safe while driving in the rain?
Rain is a common weather event that impacts driving conditions and the way we drive. Rainy days can cause reduced visibility and slicker road conditions, which could become hazardous if you’re not cautious. For some of us, it may have been a while since driving school, so we want to provide a brief overview on driving in the rain safely.
Most importantly, you need to be sure you keep your vehicle in good working condition for driving in the rain. This includes getting your brakes checked, maintaining your tires, doing a full vehicle inspection, and more. CarAdvise makes booking all of these services simple and helps you save on all of your car maintenance. Never pay retail price for car maintenance again! Learn more and sign up for CarAdvise today.
Use your windshield wipers and headlights
You may not need to flash back to driving school to remember this tip about driving in the rain, but it’s an important one. As soon as it begins to rain while you are driving, you should turn on your wipers and headlights. Both of these will help improve your visibility as the sky gets darker and water starts to come down. With your headlights in particular, it is critical to have them on not just for your own visibility, but also so that you remain visible to oncoming traffic. Be sure to replenish your wiper fluid when it gets low and replace your wipers when they get old so that you are prepared for rain at any time.
Drive slower and signal early
As the road starts to become slippier from the rain, it’s a good idea to slow down and drive more cautiously. Driving too fast in the rain can cause you to have less control of your vehicle and can even cause your car to hydroplane. When switching lanes or making turns, use your turn signal earlier to give a longer heads-up to the drivers around you of what you are about to do. When visibility starts to decrease from the weather, remaining predictable as a driver is the best course of action to avoid accidents.
Begin braking sooner
Sometimes wet road conditions can cause your brakes to respond less quickly. This is especially true when rain becomes mixed with snow and ice in the wintertime. Start braking sooner than you would when driving in clear conditions to give yourself more time and distance to slow down before an intersection or crossing. Using your brakes earlier also allows the cars behind you to prepare to brake as well, which is especially important in rainy driving conditions.
If visibility becomes especially low, pull over to the side of the road and wait for conditions to improve
When it rains, it pours. Sometimes the downpour can be so heavy that you won’t have any visibility while driving on the road. If you find yourself in this situation, immediately turn on your hazard signal, pull over to the shoulder of the road, and wait for the heavy rain to pass. Doing this will put you at less risk for an auto accident. Once the rain eases up enough to where you can adequately see the road in front of you, it is safe to resume travel.
Those are our tips for driving in the rain. We hope that now you won’t have to go back to driving school with these safety tips in mind. Remember these four principles while driving in the rain and you’ll be cautious while driving in the rain. Drive safely!
