**Full Disclosure: This is a sponsored post which also contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I get a teeny-tiny percentage at no cost to you. All opinions are my own.
According to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, each year in the United States, there are an average of 10,000 thunderstorms and 5,000 floods. That’s a whole lot of rain, which means that you’re likely to drive in the rain quite frequently (unless you live in South Texas – ha!). The following tips will help to ensure that you and your passengers stay safe while driving in the rain.
Avoid using cruise control – Cruise control is very useful when conditions are dry but can be a hazard in wet conditions. If you have cruise control engaged and your car happens to hydroplane, your car’s speed will accelerate at much higher speeds than normal, launching your car into the air.
Reduce your speed – Rain makes roadways extremely slick, which causes poor tire traction. Poor traction can cause the tires to slide on the road instead of grip like they are supposed to. In rainy conditions, tires can lose approximately 1/3rd of their traction. This means you should drive much slower than normal.
Increase your following distance – Decades ago, the general rule of thumb was that you should leave one car length, between your car and the car in front of you, for each 10 MPH of speed. However, that has since been replaced by the two-second rule. With this rule, you select a fixed object ahead of you, like a billboard or a road sign. Once the car in front of you reaches that object, starting counting and once your car reaches that object, stop counting. In normal conditions, your car should reach the object 2 seconds after the car in front of you. However, during wet weather, you should have a 4 second following distance.
Turn your headlights on – States have different laws when it comes to driving with headlights when it’s raining. A news article titled Windshield Wiper & Headlight Laws State-by-State was recently posted and contains a ton of great information. Did you know there are 18 states that require you to have your headlights on any time that you’re using your windshield wipers? When it’s raining, visibility is a lot lower than normal. Using your headlights increases your visibility and also allows other drivers to properly see your car on the road.
Head over to Reed Mantoll Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram to find a car that fits your needs!
Leave a Reply