Drive Safely in the Rain

With summer in the rearview mirror, it’s a good idea to take a moment and assess both your car and driving habits to adjust to fall and winter weather. What may be acceptable when roads are clear and dry could lead to accidents when rain begins to fall. Here are some things to keep in mind when preparing for rain and snow, and driving strategies to keep you safe.

Inspect your car

Warm summer weather can dry out both windshield wipers and tires. Replace cracked tires and wipers before an emergency strikes. Additionally, having low tread on tires can seriously impact your car’s ability to navigate wet roadways; even a modest amount of rain on the road will cause bald tires to lose contact with the pavement and hydroplane.

Learn how to handle a skid

If you lose control of your car at any point, the most important (though difficult) thing to remember is to remain calm while attempting to regain control of your vehicle. Do not slam on your brakes, as this will only cause you to lose more control of the vehicle. Continue to look and steer in the direction you would like to go, brake gently, and avoid making sudden, sharp turns.

Carefully follow the person in front of you

It’s easy to go into auto pilot and start following cars as closely in wet weather as you would in dry weather. However, even when your tires have a safe amount of tread, you need more time to come to a stop on wet roads, and you need to be traveling at a slower speed for your tires to displace the water on the roads. Leave a greater amount of room between yourself and the car in front of you, try to follow in that car’s tracks, and reduce your speed in proportion to the amount of water on the road.

If you have been involved in a rainy weather accident due to the negligence or recklessness of another driver, contact Hudson Valley’s experienced personal injury attorneys at Rusk, Wadlin, Heppner & Martuscello for a consultation at 845-331-4100 in Kingston or 845-236-4411 for our Marlboro office.