Driving Recommendations in Adverse Weather Conditions

Driving in rain, heavy fog or snowfall requires special driving skills due to reduced tire traction with the road surface and reduced visibility. Always keep your vehicle in good mechanical condition and be especially careful if you must drive in bad weather. In adverse weather conditions, do not use the cruise control system (for some vehicle versions).

Vehicle Handling — Reduce your speed and drive more slowly than you normally would in normal weather conditions on dry road surfaces. Remember that the vehicle's response to steering inputs will be slower and more sluggish, even if the road only appears slightly wet. Apply all vehicle controls smoothly. On wet or slippery road surfaces, a sudden jerk of the steering wheel or careless pressing of the brake pedal may result in loss of vehicle control. At the start of a trip, until you have fully adapted to the changed weather conditions, exercise increased caution. This precaution is especially important when driving during snowfall. Keep in mind that during the summer period many useful skills for driving on snow-covered roads are forgotten. Therefore, you may need some time to regain these skills.

Be extremely careful when driving in rain after a long period of good, sunny weather. The first rains after a dry spell make the road surface especially slippery.

Visibility — For road safety in any weather conditions, it is very important to have good visibility in all directions and to be visible to other drivers. These requirements are more difficult to meet in adverse weather conditions. To make your vehicle more visible to other road users during daylight hours, turn on the headlights.

Check the condition of the windshield wiper blades and windshield washer regularly. Always keep the washer fluid reservoir filled to the required level with the recommended washer fluid.

Replace the wiper blades if they no longer clean the windshield properly and leave streaks of water and dirt on it. To prevent moisture from condensing on the inside of the glass, use the defroster to blow air onto the glass, and if necessary turn on the air conditioner (if equipped) (see pages 202 and 208).

Tire Traction with the Road Surface — Check the tire air pressure and the tread wear (tread depth) regularly. Both factors are important for good traction with the road surface and for preventing hydroplaning (a sharp reduction in traction when the wheels roll over a road covered with a layer of water). To ensure better vehicle handling and driving safety when winter arrives, fit a full set of winter tires to the vehicle.

While driving, constantly monitor changes in road conditions, which can be very unpredictable. Wet leaves on the road can be as slippery as ice. A road surface that looks clean and dry may be icy in places. Driving conditions can be very hazardous when the outside air temperature stays around 0 °C.

Sections of road with puddles may alternate with icy sections, resulting in hard-to-predict and abrupt changes in tire traction with the road surface.

Be careful when shifting into a lower gear. You may momentarily lock the drive wheels, which on low-traction surfaces can cause a skid.

Be especially careful when overtaking, and also when other vehicles overtake you. Water and dirt spray thrown up from the wheels of a truck being passed can sharply reduce visibility through the windshield, and gusts of crosswind while overtaking a truck or bus are dangerous because they can cause loss of control.

WARNING: Do not drive through deep puddles.

Driving through a flooded road section at significant depth may cause engine damage, electrical system failure and other malfunctions.