Safe Driving

First off, hoping everyone is staying safe and dry. Today seemed like the perfect day to share some wet weather driving tips.

• First of all: slow down! It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather. This should be obvious but it also very important. People are so used to driving certain speeds on certain roads that sometimes they forget the need to slow down.
• Stay toward the middle lanes - water tends to pool in the outside lanes.
  • Maintain proper following distance (3 Second Rule). This needs to be increased in wet weather.
  • Drive in the tracks of a car ahead of you.
  • Don't follow large trucks or busses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely.
  • Be more alert when driving in wet or slippery conditions. Watch out for brake lights in front of you.
  • Avoid using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.
  • If you must stop because the weather is too bad to drive through or you are uncomfortable driving, use your four ways and find a safe place to pull over. The right lane of Route 19 is NOT the correct place, a parking lot is.
  • Turn your headlights on even in a light rain, or in gloomy, foggy or overcast conditions. Remember it is Pennsylvania State Law that you mush have headlights on if your wipers are in use. Good visibility is your friends. You want to see others, and they need to see you.
  • Before it starts to rain, replace old or brittle wipers. Wipers in bad condition don’t clear water from the windshield very well and can distort your field of vision. It may be a bit late for this but if you find yourself in need, stop by your favorite auto store today (South Hills Chrysler Jeep Kia perhaps). This is also something to think about with S – N – O –W  on the way.
  • Exercise extra caution at night. At night rainy roads become especially treacherous. The glare of oncoming lights, amplified by the rain on your windscreen, can cause temporary loss of visibility while increasing driver fatigue. In rainy conditions objects on the road are extremely hard to spot and even harder to avoid- think tree branches, lost garbage cans, other cars.
  • A word about off-roading: not the best time for ANY of that. Nothing is funnier than an SUV stuck in a soppy front yard.
  • Never drive through moving water if you can't see the ground through it; your car could be swept off the road.
  • When driving through a puddle of uncertain depth, go slow. If it's deeper than the bottom of your doors, turn around and find another route. Deep water can cause serious damage to a modern car's electrical system.
  • Avoid splashing pedestrians- don’t be that ‘that guy’
  • Check your tires- bald tires significantly reduce your traction on wet roadways, and offer little resistance to hydroplaning. When your tires run over water, the water is displaced and it needs somewhere to go quickly. The best place is between the treads of your tires. If your tires are bald, the water has no place to go and you end up riding on a layer of water, like a boat.
  • Handling a skid - Losing control of your car on wet pavement is a frightening experience. You can prevent skids by driving slowly and carefully, especially on curves. Brake before entering the curves. Steer and brake with a light touch. If you find yourself in a skid, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas, and carefully steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. This procedure, known as "steering into the skid," will bring the back end of your car in line with the front. For cars without anti-lock brakes, avoid using your brakes. If your car has ABS, brake firmly as you "steer into the skid."
  • Oily deposits - Watch for intersections because of the oil spots in the road. Rain is most dangerous when it falls after a long, dry spell on to roads that have become polished and smooth: the rain blends with oil and rubber-dust deposits on the road surface to form a highly dangerous skid mixture. That mixture builds up at intersections, where cars stop and start frequently. Be extra careful immediately after it starts raining because it takes a while for the worst of the dirt and oil to get washed off the road.

Again- I wish everyone safe driving and I hope some of these tips are useful! If I missed any that you feel should be included, please let me know!