I’m singing in the rain, I’m singing in the rain……Sounds fun, but driving in the rain? Not so much.

The anxiety level can be very inducing when your driving through heavy flooded streets. The US has over 900,000 vehicle accidents a year due to wet condition driving of which roughly 5,000 are fatalities and 350,000 are seriously injured.

Being behind the wheel with a rain-splattered windshield doesn’t have to be a white-knuckled, nerve-racking experience.

Let’s go over a few quick techniques for your next downpour driving:

BE ARETHA FRANKLIN

It’s crucial that you THINK before you drive. Many people drive subconsciously, out of habit and when it starts raining, we often forget to adjust our thinking. When conditions are less than ideal, drivers need to stay alert and focused on what’s going on around them. It’s that simple!

GET BACK TO BASICS

It’s the law in all states to turn on headlights when visibility is low, and many states also require having the headlights on when the windshield wipers are in use. Make sure you have well working wipers and relatively new tires. This is especially more dangerous when driving at high speeds on the highway. PS: Check your spare tire to make sure its not only in good condition, but its full of air.

BEWARE OF HYDROPLANING

Hydroplaning is the technical term for what occurs when your tires lose traction with the road due to excess water on top of the road. The result is that your vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably. It’s easy to hydroplane: all you need is one-twelfth of an inch of rain on the road and a speed of more than 35 miles per hours. YUP, GET YOUR RULERS OUT and see what one-twelfth is. If your tires have extensive wear and tear, you are more highly likely to hydroplane. You can hydroplane even if you are driving a four-wheel drive car, SUV, or truck.

DON’T BE TOM CRUISE

Turn off your cruise control!! Ironically, on rain- or snow- slick surfaces, cruise control may cause you to lose control. You might think it’ll help you stay at one steady speed, but if you hydroplane while you’re in cruise control, your car will actually go faster.

LEARN TO READ

This may sound very silly, but remember to read the speed limit sign. It’s important to know that posted speed limit signs are designed for ideal conditions, which means driving when you have little traffic and good visibility. That’s hardly the environment you’re driving in when it’s raining. So, let up on the accelerator and allow more time to get to your destination and simply Slow Down!

DON’T PLAY FROGGER

Yes, its raining and your running late, but jumping form lane to lane during raining condition is asking for trouble. Remember that our driving experience and caution is not someone else’s. Take extra cautious with merging lanes. Always drive defensively and take precautions when passing vehicles to prevent merging collisions.

~ BE A GOOD CAR PRACTITIONER SO YOU CAN EXECUTE BEING AT PEACE OF MIND ~