how to drive car in rain

Sometimes, giving your car a quick inspection is enough to keep you safe while driving or to alert you to any potential problems before you’re stuck in the rain. If possible, downshift to slow down without braking. To improve your visibility:[1] X Research source Clean the inside and outside of the windows regularly to remove dirt, dust, mud, smoke, fingerprints, grime, and other materials. That's a holdover from pre-ABS days. Press lightly on your clutch and add gentle pressure on the accelerate to increase engine revs. Playing with a 360 gamepad because i sadly have no place or way to mount and place a wheel. "This article is really useful for me because it has a lot of important information about different, and common, "I love your all articles about driving, they are the best I've ever seen! ABS systems typically work in conjunction with stability control programs to monitor grip levels and ensure that even urgent stops are dealt with safely. This could result in the car hydroplaning and possibly losing control. Driving too quickly on wet roads can lead to hydroplaning, which means that your tires lose contact with the road. Is it safe to drive faster in the rain if I use Rain-X on my windshield? References Stay away from large trucks and buses. 1. To prevent skidding, always brake before entering a turn or curve, then let your foot off the brake before the turn. Heavy rain, fog, and water spray can also make it more difficult to see. So, when you're driving in the rain, take control of the vehicle yourself. To pull over safely, turn on your signal, check your mirror and blind spots, pull over as far as possible to the side of the road, and turn on your four-way lights. The rain can cause oils on a roadway to rise to the surface and make conditions slick. Anytime driving conditions are less than ideal, such as during rainfall, be sure to adjust your speed appropriately. Clean the inside and outside of the windows regularly to remove dirt, dust, mud, smoke, fingerprints, grime, and other materials. Since water tends to pool along the sides of the road, use the middle lanes when you can. You can normally see the water, but you should always be careful when driving on a road after it's been raining. But driving in the rain doesn't have to be stressful or particularly treacherous. This is entirely your personal preference. Rates of accidents, commute times, and tempers all go through the proverbial roof. This article was co-authored by Simon Miyerov. If you do these two things, and follow these guidelines, you’ll be just fine in the rain. ", "Really fantastic and helpful safety tips for rainy day driving. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 333,160 times. The California Vehicle Code (CVC) states that when wipers are in continuous use, or when visibility is less than 1,000 feet, your headlights have to be on. Take your time. Idk if this is anywere near real for a race track, sure its different than on a normal road surface, but this drastic? Paying attention to what drivers and pedestrians are doing around you. While traditional wisdom said to drive with your hands at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock on the steering wheel, this increases the chances of injury from airbags in case of a collision. Apply slow and gentle pressure to the brakes. Driving through even a few inches of water can cause your car to hydroplane, or skid across the surface of the road. "All the oil, gas, diesel, antifreeze, ATF, and whatnot that gets dropped or spilled on the road all year floats on the water and can make a slick road slicker." New tires generally have about 10/32 of an inch of tread. This results in slipping and sliding of tires. As you drive, don't slam on your breaks and take turns slowly so you don't skid or hydroplane. Hard braking and turning can cause your car to skid. If you feel uncomfortable you can always pull off the road and wait. Driving in rain is … Rain-X does not affect traction whatsoever. Heavy rain will always make it harder to drive to some degree, and although the technology in cars is always improving to help prevent accidents it still mainly comes down to the style of the driver. In this case, 90% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Getting stuck driving in heavy rains can be a scary experience. Driving in the rain can be both scary and dangerous, and it’s important to be cautious when the weather is wet. Can I optimize my traction in the rain by avoiding driving in the tracks of the vehicle I am following? If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Whenever a little rain falls on the streets and freeways of Los Angeles, the city's drivers seem to fall apart. Why? If the puddle is shallow enough to drive through, try and spot any objects that may cause damage to your car’s wheels, tyres or suspension, potentially leaving you mid-puddle with a problem. It takes longer to stop when the road is wet. Just remember to be extra cautious when driving on wet roads and be aware of potential dangers. No. You don’t want to risk driving through it and striking a deep pothole or splashing water up into the car’s electrical system. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. This way you can pick a safe path across. His mission is to ensure the safety of everyday drivers and continue to make New York a safer and efficient driving environment. Turn on the rear defroster, and open the windows if necessary to increase the airflow. "Every tire will hydroplane," he says. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. When you do need to stop, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down, and brake gradually to avoid hydroplaning. Driving in rain Reduce your speed and leave more space between you and the car in front. Deploy all your attention and energy to safely operating your vehicle, and driving defensively, to anticipate other drivers’ moves and mistakes. Your car could hydroplane, it’s harder to brake quickly and accidents are much more common. The reasoning behind that is computers simply aren't able to identify water-laden pavement where the car might hydroplane. As a result, it is imperative that you drive with tires that are suitable for wet weather conditions. When someone wants a self-driving car to drive in the rain, as much as possible the AI needs to ascertain whether the self-driving car is ready for rain related driving. This article has been viewed 333,160 times. One can always wait till rain reduces or stops. How dangerous is driving in the rain? According to editor-in-chief Mark Rechtin, drivers should lean on the safety systems during emergency braking systems. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Instead of braking, you can also slow yourself down by easing off the accelerator, and downshifting if you have a manual transmission. Moving water is too deep if you cannot see the ground. Antilock braking systems have gotten very clever over the last several years. To learn how to react if you hydroplane or encounter deep water, keep reading! Their large tires will throw water at you, making it hard to see. Other things that can reduce your visibility include the glare from other car lights and lightning. Not being able to stop as quickly in the rain is another reason why it's so important to leave extra space between your car and the one in front of you. Whenever a little rain falls on the streets and freeways of Los Angeles, the city's drivers seem to fall apart. Rain and wet roads make it harder to keep traction. Just like with driving, you should reduce the speed of your turns by about a third when it's raining. "If you slam on the brakes, stay slammed on the brakes," he says. To drive safely in the rain, slow down to 1/3 the normal speed limit since wet roads reduce traction. There you have it, some important safety tips for driving in the rain. Keep the light covers on your car clean so that dust and dirt don't reduce their efficacy. Apparently, we automatically adjust our expectations and driving style in snow, fog or ice, but not so much in rain. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Driving in rain. ", be recalled by your mind in the noted situations! Tips for Driving in the Rain: 5 Pieces of Advice You May Not Have Thought of, If you have ABS, don't be afraid to slam on the brakes, Be extra-cautious when driving in the first rain after a dry spell, Turn your headlights on—daytime running lights aren't enough. "It helped me a lot because I was driving in the rain tonight and I got to where I couldn't see. Therefore, you're more likely to find traction when following the same path as most of the water has been moved. Simon Miyerov is the President and Driving Instructor for Drive Rite Academy, a driving academy based out of New York City. Rates of accidents, commute times, and tempers all go through the proverbial roof. No, it is not any safer, you should still slow down. Was it right to keep driving instead of pulling off the highway in a rainstorm? Tires should be replaced when the tread gets to 4/32 of an inch. In a case where the only route is blocked, pull over and wait out the flooding. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Driving in rain can be stressful and is therefore a leading cause of car crashes on the roadways. According to Highways England, people are 30 times more likely to be killed or injured on the roads when it is raining, rather than in snow or icy conditions.. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/1b\/Drive-Safely-in-the-Rain-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Drive-Safely-in-the-Rain-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/1b\/Drive-Safely-in-the-Rain-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid98369-v4-728px-Drive-Safely-in-the-Rain-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"