Smart Rainy Day Driving Tips
Rainy day crashes can be avoided with a few smart driving tips.
- Replace old, worn and/or brittle wiper blades.
- Stay toward the middle lanes - water tends to pool in the outside lanes.
- Check the tread and inflation of your tires. Properly maintained tires provide the added traction you will need on wet roads.
- Maintain a proper following distance. This should be increased in foul weather.
- SLOW DOWN! It takes longer to stop in wet weather. Plus the faster you drive, the greater the chances of hydroplaning!
- Avoid using your brakes if possible. Slow down, and take your foot off of the accelerator. Keep an eye out for brake lights ahead of you.
- Turn on your headlights (in NJ and many other states it is the law).
- Don't use cruise control.
- Never drive through moving water if you cannot see the ground through it - you could be swept right off the road!
- Watch out for places where floodwater collects, particularly in low-lying roads, dips under rail or highway bridges, etc.
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