Driving in the Rain

Rain and wet roads can make driving dangerous. Keep the following points in mind when driving in rain or on slippery surfaces:

- Drive carefully and allow extra braking distance. Heavy rain makes it harder to see and increases the distance needed to stop the vehicle.

- Replace the wiper blades when they show signs of streaking or leave areas of the windshield uncleaned.

- Make sure the tires have adequate tread depth. If the tires are not in good condition, sudden braking on wet roads may cause skidding and a possible accident. Refer to "Tire Tread" in section 7.

- Turn on the headlights to make yourself more visible to other drivers.

- Driving too fast through large puddles may affect the brakes. If you must drive through puddles, drive slowly.

- If you think the brakes may be wet, apply them lightly while driving until normal braking performance returns.

Aquaplaning

If the road is wet enough and you are traveling at high speed, the vehicle may have little or no grip on the road surface and hydroplane on the water.

The best advice is to REDUCE your speed when the road is wet. The risk of hydroplaning increases as tire tread depth decreases. Refer to "Tire Tread" in section 7.