Wet Weather Driving Safety Tips

Road view through car window with rain drops

Use these tips to stay safe on the road through El Nino.

With the current California drought, grabbing your umbrella when you leave the house may be the last thing on your mind. However, a monster El Nino is expected to hit the state in the near future, bringing heavy rains. To help ensure that you stay safe while on the on the roads when the rain starts falling, keep these wet weather driving safety tips in mind.

  • Slow down. It takes much longer to stop on wet roads. Decreasing your speed will help you have enough time to react to any dangerous situations that you may encounter on the road.
  • Try to stay toward the middle lanes. Water tends to pool in the outside lanes where the street slopes slightly, creating deep puddles.
  • Increase your following distance. In the best weather conditions, you should follow the 3 second rule. In rainy conditions, increase the following distance to at least 5 seconds.
  • Do not follow to closely to buses or large trucks since the large tires can create more spray, reducing your visibility.
  • Stay alert when driving in the rain. Reduce your distractions and keep both hands on the wheel at all times.
  • Keep your headlights on in the rain, even if it is in the middle of the day. Headlights will help you see better and make you more visible to other drivers on the road.
  • If you start to hydroplane, do not slam on your brakes. Instead, let your foot off the gas and continue steering in the direction that you want to go until you feel your tires gain traction again.

Knowing that you have the right auto insurance will help to give you the peace of mind that you deserve when the rain starts falling. Contact the insurance professionals at ISU Wissink Insurance in Culver City, California for all of your car insurance needs.