According to the Federal Highway Administration, 75% of weather-related auto crashes occur on wet pavement and during rainfall. Additionally, heavy rain reduces visibility. Every year, over half-a-million people are injured in crashes on wet pavement, and nearly as many are hurt in crashes during a rainstorm.
Maintaining your tires and driving with extra care when it rains, and in foggy conditions, can help you get to where you’re going without an incident. We’ve put together some tips to help keep you and your family safe.
Top 10 Tips for Safely Driving in the Rain
Wait for the storm to pass
This can be especially important if your tires need to be replaced or if the tread is low. When tires are worn, the grooves in those tires cannot move water away fast enough to avoid hydroplaning. Even if your tires have plenty of traction left, waiting out the storm helps you avoid driving alongside other drivers with less-than-adequate tires.
Avoid bald tires
Bald tires or tires with little-to-no tread or traction can be especially dangerous on wet roads. A set of all-season tires from Les Schwab can help you maintain contact with the road and control of your vehicle, whether you’re driving on bare pavement, in the rain, or light snow.
Turn on your headlights
This helps you see better and allows other drivers to see you. However, remember to keep your headlights on low to avoid glare in rainstorms, which can cause additional visibility issues.
Slow down
You’re less likely to hydroplane at or below 35 MPH (miles per hour). If you must travel far below the speed of traffic, stay in the right lane and turn on your hazards. This will help alert other drivers to the danger.
Leave room between vehicles
Similar to driving on snow and ice, it’s important to leave enough space between you and the car ahead of you during a rainstorm. With reduced visibility and braking distance, giving yourself an extra split second to avoid problems could keep you from becoming a statistic.
Don’t use cruise control
Using cruise control in a rain storm can cause your tires to spin faster if you start to hydroplane. Then, your vehicle could fishtail and lose steering control when the tires regain traction.
Don’t drive through water flowing across the road
That water might not look deep, but even as little as 12-inches of moving water can sweep your vehicle off the road or into oncoming traffic. Instead, find an alternative route or wait for the storm to pass, if possible.
Drive carefully
Anytime you’re faced with wet roads or downpours, avoid hard braking, sudden acceleration or sharp turns. This can help minimize the possibility and effects of hydroplaning.
Stay in your lane
Lane changes and passing in rainy conditions can increase your chances of hydroplaning. Why? Because as you move out of the tracks created by the vehicle in front of you, your tires will need to move more water to maintain contact with the road. Also, rain can cause poor visibility and increased stopping distances.
Avoid puddles and standing water
It’s almost impossible to know how deep a puddle or other standing water really is. Even the best tires cannot move water away fast enough to keep you from hydroplaning at high speeds through deep water. Additionally, going through standing water can stall your engine and leave you stranded if enough water gets into the intake or exhaust. If you do make it safely through a large puddle, check that your brakes are working properly by tapping them gently a few times.
