Key Takeaways:
- Check your tire pressure before you venture out into the rain. Ensure your tires are inflated to the recommended air pressure.
- Avoid turning on cruise control as it increases the risk of hydroplaning and reduces control of your vehicle.
- Ensure your headlights are working and not burnt out, along with your wipers. Ideally, the wipers shouldn’t leave any streaks on your windshield.
- Keep a distance between your car and other cars on the road to minimize the risk of collision.
- If you hydroplane, don’t panic. Instead of slamming the brakes, move your foot off the accelerator slowly.
We often need to travel through heavy rains and continue our daily routines. However, driving in the rain can put you in a dangerous position if you’re not taking the correct precautions. It’s important to stay prepared for extreme weather and never venture out in the rain without these precautions in mind.
Read on to learn what you should know about driving in the rain, including what you should avoid for a safe and smooth ride.
Things You Should Know About Driving in The Rain
Keep Tires Inflated
Keeping your tires at the recommended air pressure is important, especially if you’re driving in the rain. When tires are underinflated, the contact patch between the tire and the road increases, which can lead to hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning occurs when a layer of water builds up between the tire and the road, causing the tire to lose contact with the road and making it difficult to steer or brake effectively.
Inflating your tires to the recommended pressure can help reduce the risk of hydroplaning and improve traction on wet roads. Furthermore, properly inflated tires can also help improve fuel efficiency, tire wear, and overall vehicle performance. You can determine the recommended pressure for your tires from the vehicle owner’s manual.
Avoid Cruise Control
Another tip for driving in the rain is to avoid using cruise control. Driving in the rain requires more control over the vehicle, as the wet surface can reduce traction and increase the risk of hydroplaning. Therefore, if you encounter a puddle or a slippery patch, your tires can lose traction, and your vehicle can skid or slide.
If your car is in cruise control mode, it will continue to try to maintain the set speed, making it more difficult to slow down. Additionally, using cruise control in the rain can increase the risk of accidents, especially if visibility is reduced due to heavy rain or fog.
Check Headlights and Wipers
It’s crucial to be able to see and to be seen when driving in the rain. Hence, driving safely in the rain can be challenging due to reduced visibility, especially at night. To ensure good visibility,
check your windshield wipers to make sure they can clean the glass in a single swipe without leaving streaks which further blur vision.
If your wipers are not performing well, it may be necessary to replace them. You can attempt to do this project yourself or get a professional mechanic to do it.
For those who frequently experience heavy downpours, we advise you to use water-repellent products on your windshield. These products help clean your windshield, make water bead, and run off the glass more quickly.
Similarly, turn on the defroster and wipe dirt from your headlights to prevent fogging on your windows. Also, wipe the brake lights, turn signals, and taillights so other drivers can see you in low-visibility conditions.
Keep a Distance on the Road
In extreme rainy weather, we recommend drivers leave a lot of space between their car and the one in front of them. This reduces the risk of colliding with another car or objects you may fail to see because of the rain.
If this isn’t possible, try to keep an open space on either side of your vehicle if you’re on a highway. This way if you get caught in an accident, you will have the space to move left or right away from it. Additionally, you should drive in the middle lane as water accumulates more on the side lanes.
If You Hydroplane, Be Calm
It’s essential to keep calm when driving in the rain. You may find yourself hydroplaning in many extreme cases, so it’s best to stay level-headed.
Don’t jam on the brakes; it won’t help you get traction. Instead, shift your foot slowly off the accelerator. This will bring more traction on the front tires and get them back on the pavement.
If this maneuver doesn’t work, be gentle with the brakes. Use the ball of your foot and toes to work the pedals while keeping your heel on the floor for better control over braking. Be careful not to over-press the pedal, which can cause a skid on the rear tire.
If you end up in a skid, steer and look in the direction you want. By keeping your eyes focused on the road, your hands, and feet will react accordingly to ensure you end up where you want to be. Since cars react slower on slippery roads, slowing down can help prevent hydroplaning or skidding.
Furthermore, you should avoid sudden movements as they make you lose even more traction. We recommend you make gradual speed changes and be more mindful of how slowly you lift your foot off the pedal.
Conclusion
Driving in the rain can be daunting, but it’s not impossible if done safely. Keeping visibility, slow movements, and tire pressure in mind is something even the most experienced driver should always do. Before you go out into the rain, ensure you have followed every precautionary step above and that your headlights, wipers, and tires are all in good condition.
We at Chris Auffenberg Ford have a wide variety of pre-owned Fords available for you to browse through and make your selection. You can also schedule a service with us to keep your car in top shape, as well as order parts for your Ford. Our team of experts is also available 24/7 through a chat service on our website if you have any queries.
