Driving in the Rain

Rain and wet roads can make driving hazardous. Here are some things to consider when driving in rain or on slippery pavement:

• Reduce speed and allow extra distance. Heavy precipitation makes it harder to see and increases the distance required to stop the vehicle.
• Turn off cruise control.
• Replace the windshield wiper blades when streaks appear or when areas of the windshield are not wiped clean.
• Make sure your tires have adequate tread depth. If your tires do not have adequate tread depth, sudden braking on wet pavement may cause skidding and possibly an accident.
• Turn on the headlights so that others can see you more easily.
• Driving too fast through large puddles may affect brake performance. If you must drive through puddles, drive through them slowly.
• If you believe your brakes may be wet, lightly apply them while driving until normal braking performance returns.

Hydroplaning

If the road is wet enough and you are driving fast enough, your vehicle may virtually lose contact with the road surface and actually ride on the water. The best advice is to SLOW DOWN when the road is wet. The risk of hydroplaning increases as tire tread depth decreases.