10 Tips For Driving In The Rain

We welcome spring in Youngstown, OH. And as the weather warms, we venture outside to enjoy our favorite activities. While the snow may not continue falling, we do see plenty of precipitation. Unfortunately, rain can keep us from enjoying those outdoor excursions, such as hiking, biking, and camping. But it doesn’t stop life completely. We must still drive to work, school, the grocery store, and elsewhere to keep our lives going.

Unfortunately, rain can cause as much havoc on the roads as snow, particularly in a downpour. Losing control in the rain happens more than you might imagine, leading to hydroplaning, dangerous skids, and even accidents. Fortunately, you can take countermeasures when the roads get slick. So, we asked our vehicle safety experts to submit their top tricks for driving safely in the rain.

Don’t Drive at All

This may be oversimplifying the issue, but it’s true. You can’t get in an accident in the rain if you don’t drive in the rain. We’re really talking about heavy thunderstorms with high winds and rain flying sideways.

Ask yourself before you set out if you really need to go right now. If you can wait 30 minutes or an hour for the storm to pass, you’ll be much safer for it. If you get caught in a sudden storm on the road, you can always pull over to a safe spot and wait.

Reduce Your Speed

Reducing your speed gives you more time to react to an emergency. It takes longer to stop on wet roads, and sudden, hard braking often results in an uncontrolled skid and an accident. Also, it’s often more dangerous at the start of a storm because the fresh rain releases the oils on the road, making it slicker than the rain alone before the oils are eventually washed away.

Stay Focused and Alert

Seeing through heavy rains when it falls faster than the wipers clear it can be challenging. As a result, you need all your attention focused on the road ahead. This is a good time to shut off your cruise control system. Even though it slows you down automatically, it won’t compensate for longer stopping times in an emergency.

Have Your Headlights On and Hazard Lights Off

Experts agree that you should always turn on your headlights in the rain. They enhance visibility and allow other drivers to see you in otherwise challenging conditions. Unfortunately, some drivers mistakenly believe that turning on their hazard lights helps make them even more visible. Unfortunately, it causes more distraction than necessary, and when split seconds count, you don’t need your focus pulled to flashing hazard lights.

Maintain a Safe Distance From the Vehicle Ahead

Everyone knows to keep a safe distance in traffic, even in dry, clear weather conditions. But wet weather makes it more challenging to come to a controlled stop. As a result, budgeting extra space between you and the car ahead is prudent.

Avoid Sharp Turns and Hard Braking

Of course, if you need to turn fast or brake hard, you probably didn’t leave enough space as we suggested. Indeed, you don’t want to drive like you’re on a closed track in an Indy race if it’s raining. It just isn’t safe.

When you turn sharply or brake hard, your tires slow down their rotation. But your tires must rotate to keep the tread in contact with the road for optimal traction. As a result, you end up in a skid or hydroplaning situation where you’ve lost control.

Pump Your Brakes

If you do end up skidding or hydroplaning, don’t slam on the brakes, and don’t keep them locked up. Locking your brakes stops your wheels from turning, and you’ve lost traction. So instead of locking them down, pump them. This action allows them to rotate in between, which can help improve your traction.

It also helps if you steer into the skid to help gain traction. For example, if your GMC Acadia skids with the rear end moving clockwise, you should steer counterclockwise while pumping the brakes. This action helps your tires find the traction they need.

If you’re skidding straight ahead, you don’t want to steer right or left. In this case, keep pumping your brakes and steer in the direction you want to go. You can even let off the accelerator and allow the car to slow on its own if you have enough clear road ahead. Eventually, you’ll feel the tires grip the road.

Follow Another Vehicle’s Tracks

You can see where the vehicle ahead drove by the tracks left by its wheels. In heavy rain, those tracks are the thinnest water area on the road. As a result, your tires don’t have to work through deeper water to maintain contact with the road.

Drive in the Middle Lane

Roads are designed with a crown in the middle. You might not notice it on a typical day, but when the rain comes, you’ll see the water running down the side of the roads. So, if you have a middle lane you can use, you can bet it’s on higher ground, and you’ll be less likely to encounter deep water.

Check Your Equipment Regularly

This suggestion should occur before you ever set out in the rain. At least twice a year, you should have a professional inspect your car’s critical parts, looking for wear and tear or malfunction. These parts include tires, windshield wipers, brakes, steering, and suspension.

Your tires need enough tread to remain effective in heavy rain. A good rule of thumb is if you insert a quarter between the tire’s tread and you can see George Washington’s hair, you need to replace your tires. Wipers should be flexible, not brittle. Your brake system has many moving parts that need to work for precision stopping.

At Cochran Buick GMC of Youngstown, OH, our factory-certified technicians will perform a thorough inspection fast and alert you to potential issues before they cause a breakdown. And we’ve streamlined the process with our online appointment scheduler. You can select your day and time in a few clicks and leave the rest to us. Trust in your #1 Cochran team to keep you safe from any weather condition!

June storm by brennanMKE is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0