The heavier the rain, the harder it is
to
see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder
to
see
road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even
people walking. Road spray can often be worse for
vision than rain, especially if it comes from a dirty road.
So
it is wise to keep your wiping equipment
in
good
shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled.
Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show
signs
of
streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try
to
avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
A
CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t
work well in a quick stop and may cause pulling
to one side. You could lose control
of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle
of
water or a
car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
I
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous.
So
much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen
if
the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it
has little or
no
contact with the road.
You might
not
be aware
of
hydroplaning. You could
drive along for some time without realizing your tires
aren’t in constant contact with
the
road. You could find
out
the
hard way: when you have to slow, turn, move out
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