To minimize this effect, fight the urge to turn on your high beams while driving in rain. That light refraction can temporarily blind you while driving. When rain hits your windshield, the droplets act like mini-magnifying glasses that can refract light. Driving In The Rain At Nightĭriving in the rain at night takes all of the hazards and challenges discussed above and adds in the extra element of even poorer visibility. Worse yet, deep, moving water could actually sweep your vehicle away with life-threatening consequences. If you come upon deep water, don’t risk driving through it! Driving through deep water could potentially ruin your vehicle’s electrical components. In other cases, standing water can be spotted ahead of time, and that water can be quite deep. It doesn’t take much standing water to hydroplane, so sometimes it can be hard to see before it’s too late. If you must apply the brakes, slowly and steadily apply pressure to your brake pedal-don’t slam on it. Instead, keep your wheel straight and simply let off the accelerator. Don’t do it! Your tires are simply going to turn on top of the water and you’ll continue to slide in a straight line-at least until your tires meet pavement again, and then your vehicle will want to spin hard in whatever direction you’ve got the wheels turned. If you find yourself hydroplaning, your first reaction might be to counter-steer in what you think is a safe direction. This occurs when your tires travel over standing water and the liquid actually lifts your tire off the payment, acting as a kind of lubricant. One of the biggest hazards that comes with driving in heavy rain is hydroplaning. So, when the raindrops start hitting your windshield, turn off your cruise control. This is especially true on wet and slippery roads, where you want the maximum amount of traction possible. In turn, your vehicle’s weight is constantly being shifted, and that means your car has better traction. When you’re not using cruise control, you are naturally applying and relieving pressure on the gas pedal to stay at the posted speed limit. But you’ll also be able to see the road better.Īnother common mistake many drivers make is to leave their cruise control on while driving in the rain. Not only will this allow other motorists to see your vehicle more clearly. Instead, the second it starts to rain, simply turn on your headlights. That creates a potential pileup hazard for everyone around you. The drivers behind you could mistake your rear fog lights for brake lights and slam on their own brakes in turn. The same rule applies to rear fog lights if your vehicle is equipped with them. And heavy rain is not considered a hazard. Hazard flashers are meant to notify other drivers of an actual hazard in the roadway. In fact, in many states, it’s actually against the law. In short, it’s not the right thing to do. It’s alarming just how many drivers still think the appropriate thing to do when driving in heavy rain is to turn on their hazard lights. It’s a solid plan, but some drivers take it too far. For many drivers, their first reaction when encountering heavy rain while driving is to make sure that they’re easily seen by other motorists.
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