Don’t we all wish that every drive was easy and every commute was sunny and dry? Unfortunately, the reality is that most of us will have to endure driving in bad weather at some point in our lives. Since that’s the case, we may as well be prepared when the time comes.
At Freedom National, we don’t just want to help you get cheap car insurance online. We also want to keep you safe on the roads, which is why we’ve provided this guide to driving in the two most common types of bad weather— rain and snow.
Looking for more driving safety tips? Check out our posts on driving in the rain at night, staying safe when driving in winter, and avoiding black ice.
Driving in Rain
Driving in the rain is commonplace for most people in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t bring potential dangers. Follow these tips to help ensure that the next time you’re caught driving in bad weather, you’re making the right choices to keep yourself safe until you arrive at your destination or the weather clears.
Plan for Longer Travel Times
One of the biggest mistakes that leads to accidents when driving in bad weather is failing to prepare for longer drive times. Usually what occurs is that someone has an appointment, assumes the normal travel time required, then leaves in inclement weather and attempts to keep the same travel speed they would in fine weather so that they’re not late. Then they end up in an accident.
If rain is expected, give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination on-time so that you’re not tempted to drive unsafely in order to avoid being late.
Turn Your Headlights On
Regardless of the time of day or how visible the road may seem, you should always have your lights on when driving in rainy conditions. In fact, in most places it is illegal to have your headlights off when your windshield wipers are on. Headlights don’t just help illuminate the way for you, they also help make you visible to other vehicles in rainy, foggy, or otherwise unclear conditions. Turning your headlights on in the rain takes less than a second, but could save your life and the lives of other drivers and pedestrians around you.
Avoid Hydroplaning by Keeping Speed Low
One of the greatest dangers when driving in bad weather is the risk of hydroplaning. This is when your tires glide on top of water rather than staying firmly on the ground beneath, causing you to lose traction and go into an uncontrolled slide.
One of the best ways to avoid hydroplaning is by keeping your speed lower than you would normally drive in dry conditions. Remember, losing a couple of minutes during your commute is worth avoiding a serious crash.
Avoid Standing Water
Another way to avoid hydroplaning? Watching out for standing water and avoiding it. When you see puddles gathered on parts of the road, try to steer clear of them if you can do so safely. Not only does this standing water increase the chances of hydroplaning, you also never know just how deep a puddle may be— it may look like it’s just a few inches when in fact it’s hiding a dangerous pothole a foot or more deep. The best rule when it comes to standing water is to assume it’s deeper than it looks and act accordingly.
Stay Alert
When driving in normal conditions, many of us are accustomed to ‘zoning out,’ or driving on ‘autopilot’ as we let our instinctive driving experience take over and our minds wander even as we’re generally driving safely.
In rainy weather, it becomes more important than ever to stay fully alert, with your attention focused fully on the road ahead of (and around) you. Conditions change quickly when driving in bad weather, and dangerous situations can pop up suddenly. Keep your wits about you.
Watch for Debris
Rain usually comes with wind, and when rain and wind combine you can wind up with debris scattered across the road. In seriously bad weather, this could mean fallen trees or other large obstacles. But even sticks and other debris can cause accidents from drivers swerving to avoid them or having a tire punctured. Always be on the lookout for debris on the road, but particularly when driving in bad weather.
Expect Stopped Traffic
Traffic experiences much more stopping and starting during rainy weather, so you should expect this and look further out on the road ahead for stopped traffic in front of you. This increased alertness can help keep you and the people around you safe during rainy weather.
Driving in Bad Weather: Snow
We’ve talked about rainy conditions, but what about driving in wintry conditions? This brings a whole other set of concerns that you should take into consideration before hitting the road. Here are our top tips for driving in snowy weather in order to keep you, your passengers, and other drivers safe.
Prepare Your Vehicle
If you’re going to be driving in seriously snowy conditions, consider steps such as wrapping snow chains on your tires. These are designed to dramatically increase traction on packed or unpacked snow, and could save your life when driving on steep mountain roads covered in snow.
Check Your Tires
Before driving in snow, check the condition of your tires. Do they still have plenty of tread? Are they all-weather tires or specialty snow tires designed to excel in snowy conditions? How’s your tire pressure?
Driving on worn tires with little or no tread in the snow is a recipe for disaster, and could find you slipping and sliding dangerously all over the road.
Keep Your Concentration
As important as concentration is when driving in rain, it’s even more important in the snow. Give the road your full attention, keeping both hands free and on the steering wheel at all times. Avoid distractions, and ask any passengers to refrain from distracting conversation if you really want to keep yourself focused when driving in bad weather.
Significantly Reduce Your Speed
Reduce your speed on snow even more than you would when driving in the rain. Skidding, sliding, and spinning out are extremely common in the snow. You should also increase following distance in case a vehicle in front of you experiences a skid.
Avoid Skids
Both front-wheel skids and rear-wheel skids can be generally avoided by reducing speed and driving safely. But when they do happen, there are some best practices to get through the skid safely.
In front-wheel skids, which take your vehicle in a wide arc, take your foot off the gas and wait for your tires to regain traction. Then continue driving at a safe speed as normal.
In rear-wheel skids, which cause your car to spin in circles, keep your steering wheel turned in the direction of the skid and take your foot off the gas. Never put your foot on the brakes, just wait for your wheels to regain traction and adjust your direction when possible.
Plan for Longer Travel Times
As when driving in the rain, you should expect to be traveling longer to your destination than it would normally take in dry conditions. Plan accordingly so that you don’t feel the need to rush.
Avoid Driving if Possible
The best tip for driving in the snow? Don’t, whenever possible. Obviously, you’ll need to drive in bad weather at some point, but if you can avoid it, staying home is the best way to stay safe when the rain and snow starts to fall on the highways.
FAQ
Are roads more dangerous right after rain begins?
While this often-cited fact may seem like an urban legend or fake, it’s actually true. Research shows that the drier roads were before rain began, the more crashes occur during the initial rain after that dry period.
There are a few theories for why this is, but one of the most common is that a buildup of dirt and oil on dry roads which then mixes with the initial rain may be a factor. Others think that the problem is in our heads, meaning that the longer it’s been since a rainstorm, the less practice drivers have with rain, so when the rain first begins drivers are more likely to make mistakes.
Whatever the cause, it’s true that the most dangerous time to be on the road during a storm is in the first few minutes of rainfall—excluding, of course, driving after severe rain has caused flooding conditions.
Conclusion
At Freedom National, our number-one goal is for drivers to be safe on the roads. That’s why we not only offer cheap car insurance online but also tips for safe driving and proper insurance coverage through our blog.
Get your quote today in just minutes, and get covered with Freedom National!
