Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction and affect your ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid driving through large puddles and deep—standing or flowing water.
WARNING
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a quick stop and could cause pulling to one
side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or a car/vehicle wash, lightly
apply the brake pedal until the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. Driving through flowing water
could cause the vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you and other
vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warnings and be very
cautious about trying to drive through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous.
Water can build up under the vehicle's tires so they actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When the vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips include:
- Allow extra following distance.
- Pass with caution.
- Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
- Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir filled.
- Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires.
- Turn off cruise control.
See also:
Steering, Suspension, and Chassis Components
Visually inspect front and rear suspension and steering system for damaged, loose,
or missing parts or signs of wear. Inspect the power steering for proper hook-up,
binding, leaks, cracks, chafing ...
When Should an Airbag Inflate?
Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
crashes to help reduce the potential for severe injuries mainly to the driver's
or right front passenger ...
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System
WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached to anchors, the child restraint
will not be able to protect the child correctly. In a crash, the child could be
seriously injured or killed. ...