When roads are wet from rain, water over the roadway reduces your vehicle’s tire traction. Add to that the fact that rain can reduce or impair a driver’s view of the road, and it’s easy to see that driving in the rain needs to be treated with extra caution.
Use the following safety precautions to help drive safely in the rain:
- Only travel in heavy rain when necessary, and always leave extra time to safely reach your destination
- When getting into the car during rainy conditions, wet shoes may slide from pedals. Dry soles of shoes on vehicle carpeting or rubber matting if possible
- Be aware and avoid flooded areas–never attempt to cross running or flooded water
- Buckle up
- Turn on headlights to see and be seen
- Defrost windows if necessary, both before and while driving
- Reduce speed. Speed limits are based on normal road and weather conditions, not rainy conditions
- Wipers must be on while driving in rain or snow
- Keep additional distance from other vehicles
- Watch carefully for other vehicles and pedestrians
- Turn off cruise control to reduce hydroplaning
- Brake earlier and with less force, and turn slower, than you would in normal driving conditions
- Do not slam on brakes. Apply steady pressure on ABS-equipped vehicles and pump the brakes if necessary on non-ABS vehicles
- If vehicle begins to skid, steer in direction of slide and slowly remove foot from accelerator
- Temporarily pull off the road to a safe location if you have difficulty seeing the roadway or other traffic