8 Tips to Help You Drive Safely and Prevent a Car Accident in Rainy Weather

In order to prevent a serious car accident, it is extremely important to understand how to drive safely when it is raining.

According to recent research, it’s estimated that there were over 556,151 rain-related crashes between 2007 and 2016. These crashes claimed approximately 2,473 lives and resulted in over 212,647 injuries. These startling statistics make it extremely important to know how to drive safely when it’s raining. Here are tips to help you drive safely in rainy weather.

Ensure Your Car Is in Working Order

Inspect your vehicle’s tires, headlights, windshield wipers, and taillights and make sure they’re working correctly before you drive in rainy weather.

Wait Until the Weather Improves Before Driving

Driving in the rain is very difficult. In addition, rain reduces visibility, thereby increasing your likelihood of being involved in an accident. Therefore, it is always advisable to wait for the weather to settle down before hitting the road.

Maintain a Safe Distance Between Cars

When driving in rainy conditions, it’s advisable to keep a considerable distance from other vehicles. Maintaining a safe distance from cars ahead of you allows you to brake early with reduced force and avoid running the cars ahead if they halt abruptly.

Turn Your Headlight On

Having your headlights on when it’s raining increases your visibility and allows other drivers to see you. However, keep your hazards off. Using your hazards when driving can confuse other drivers. You should generally only use the hazard lights when the car is stopped.

Slow Down and Avoid Heavy Braking

Wet roads are extremely dangerous—they can make your tires lose traction and easily lose control of your vehicle. It is, therefore, important to reduce your speed and stick to the speed limit once it begins to rain.

Use Your Windshield Wipers

Ensure you repair your windshield wipers before the rainy season. This will keep them in excellent condition and prolong their service life. If it starts raining while you’re driving, turn the wipers on. 

Using your windshield wipers will help you clear moisture from the glass and enhance your visibility while on the road. You can also spray or wipe several products onto the windshield to defer the collection of rainwater.

Avoid Standing Water on Roadways

Keep an eye for standing water. It can make your car skid across the road, and this can lead to an accident. To prevent this from happening, if it is possible to safely do so, change lanes to avoid the standing water.

Keep Your Car Ventilated

Rain equals high humidity levels. As such, you may find that your vehicle’s windows become foggy, which can reduce your visibility. However, you can turn on the front and rear defrosters to defog your windows and maximize visibility.

Employing these safety precautions will help you stay safe while driving. So be sure to keep them in mind.

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