Driving in the Rain

Rain and wet roads can make driving hazardous. Keep these points in mind when driving in rain or on slippery roads:

• Drive carefully and allow extra braking distance. Heavy rain reduces visibility and increases the vehicle's stopping distance.
• Replace the wiper blades when they begin to streak or fail to clear certain areas of the windshield.
• Make sure your tires are in good condition. If the tread on your tires is worn, sudden braking on a wet road may cause skidding and result in an accident. Refer to "Tires" in chapter 7.
• Turn on the headlights so that other road users can see you better.
• Driving too fast through large puddles may affect your brakes. If you must drive through puddles, try to do so slowly.
• If you think your brakes are wet, gently press the brake pedal while driving until normal braking is restored.

Hydroplaning

If the road is wet enough and you are driving fast enough, the vehicle may have little or no contact with the road surface and effectively ride on water. The best advice is to SLOW DOWN when the road is wet. The risk of hydroplaning increases as tread depth decreases. See "Tread Depth Indicator" in chapter 7.