Western Washington in the winter is a pretty rainy climate, and combined with occasional freezing or near-freezing temperatures, this can make for hazardous driving conditions.
There are a number of things you can do to reduce your chances of having an accident in the inclement winter weather.
Tires: Where the rubber hits the road
First, you should check your tire treads for wear. Even though you didn’t notice a difference this summer, now that wet weather is here worn tires may suddenly lose their grip on the road, and you could go sailing into another car or the ditch! Have your local tire center check to see if the tread is adequate.
Tires that are overinflated not only wear out faster, but can’t hold the road as well in wet or snowy weather. Reducing the air pressure in your tires will help you keep your car under control in treacherous conditions. By slightly reducing the pressure from 32 psi to 28 psi, you will make your tire have a little more rubber on the road surface, providing additional stability. Of course, when winter is over you will need to inflate your tires to the proper levels to avoid excessive tire wear.
Limited Visibility
Now is the time to make sure your windshield wipers are in good working condition, your windshield is clean and you have washer fluid in the reservoir. When it rains, worn wipers will streak your windshield, making it difficult to see, especially at night. Headlights of approaching vehicles will reflect this residue and make visibility even worse. Also, it is important to keep your windshield clean. Mud or leaves that get on your windshield can be smeared by your wipers, making it very difficult to see clearly, and if you get spattered by a passing car or truck, your windshield washer fluid can get it cleared off quickly.
If, for any reason, your windshield will not clear, leave the roadway as soon as safely possible and use a cloth and some clear water to thoroughly clean the window. Do the same for your other windows and side view mirrors, too.
Driving in a downpour
Usually, Seattle rain is fairly light, but occasionally a weather front will come in and dump rain in buckets. It’s best to avoid driving until it tapers off, but if you are caught in a deluge, here’s something that may help -- put on your sunglasses! Even at night, putting on your sunglasses in the pouring rain will help you see much more clearly. You will see drops on the windshield, but not the rain that's pouring down in front of your car. It also helps eliminate the sudden blindness from getting sprayed with a wall of water by a passing semi truck.
Don’t use cruise control in the rain
When you’re driving in rain, turn your cruise control off. The problem is when your tires begin to hydroplane in slippery conditions and lose contact with the road, cruise control can suddenly cause your car to accelerate to a higher rate of speed, and cause you to lose control of your car! Some cars are designed to shut cruise control down in wet or icy conditions, but yours may not be one of these.
Finally, slow down!
The speed limit may read 60 mph, but that is only applicable in optimum driving conditions. If it’s wet or icy, slow down. If you are involved in an accident in bad weather conditions, and it is found that you were going within the speed limit, that won’t help you in court if the conditions warranted slowing down. When weather conditions make driving hazardous, posted speed limits are not in effect, and motorists must drive at a safe speed or be liable for damages that they cause.
4 comments:
The best course of action on rain is the least course of action. Slamming on the brakes will eliminate what little traction you have, as will hitting the gas or steering sharply. Whenever traction is limited, smoothness equals safety. Every move you make with the steering wheel or the brakes should be small and gentle.
Always remember that all lights in your car have their own purpose and so busted brake lamps are as unsafe as broken headlamps. Without your brake lamps, reaction time of the one following you is highly affected and he or she may end up rear-ending your vehicle if he braked too late for him to stop at a safe distance.
Rain is probably one of the biggest causes of road accidents happening each year. Even the best drivers get nervous when driving in rain. Since the roads are sleeker when wet, leave extra space between you and the other cars and when you need to brake, do it earlier and with less force than usual. Since visibility may suffer as a result of rain, drivers are advised to turn on their headlights in heavy rains. Driving Training
Excellent point, Randy! And we do get a LOT of rain here in Seattle.
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