Council Offers Rainy Weather Driving Tips
Following a spring break trip, a college student called his folks to report he had made it back safely through a six hour torrential downpour. His mother asked if the driving had been hard.
"Piece of cake," he replied. "Of course I took lots of precautions. I turned on my flashers and dropped my speed back to 65 mph."
Get with it, Son! That kind of driving can land you in a ditch. When the weather's bad enough to use your emergency flashers, it's bad enough to slow WAY down.
Unfortunately, most of us tend to forget the hazards of driving through a heavy rainstorm, flooding, poor visibility, high winds and lightening to mention a few. Safe driving under these conditions is dependent not only on the driver's skill but also the condition of the vehicle, says the Car Care Council.
Reduced speed is essential in a heavy rain; so are good tires. Worn tread, less than an eighth of an inch deep, can allow the vehicle to "hydroplane," where the tire rides up on a film of water. The result is loss of control; the car fells as if it were driving on ice.
Electrical and ignition components are more vulnerable in wet weather, too. If, for example, wiring insulation is in marginal condition, the problem could rear its ugly head in wet weather. That's especially true of the wiring that carries high voltage to the spark plugs. When soaked, they may cause the engine to misfire or die completely.
The Car Care Council reminds motorists that poor visibility is another hazard that gets worse as weather gets worse. Can you see and be seen? Worn wiper blades leave a path of water on the windshield, resulting in distorted vision. It's essential, too, that all lights be working so that neighboring drivers can see you.
Especially important are the emergency flashers, which you may need when conditions bring traffic to a crawl.
Under these atmospheric conditions, when the windshield may tend to fog, your defroster comes into play. Check it out periodically even if you seldom need it.
Lightening and high wind are frequent spring companions. In an electrical storm a steel topped car is a safe place to be but an open vehicle is not. If no shelter is available move to an open area and crouch low to the ground, staying away from tall trees.
A car in even the best condition, concludes the Council, is no match for Mother Nature. Don't push your vehicle beyond its limits, such as trying to forge deep water or driving too fast in high winds.
[Reprinted with permission from the Car Care Council]