Dangerous Driving Conditions: What to Watch Out For

April is full of blooming flowers, heavy rain showers, and dangerous driving conditions. While we love this season just as much as everyone else, it’s essential to ensure that your car is safe and prepared for the road and that you know what dangers to look out for when driving in spring. 

Here are a few ways to stay safe on the road, keep your car in optimal condition, and enjoy spring safely, while avoiding dangerous driving conditions.

Keep Your Car Safe 

Before hitting the road, it’s always important to do a little audit to ensure that your car is safe, visible, and maintained well. 

Here are a few things to check to avoid dangerous driving conditions:

Your tires: Check your tire pressure and tread before driving on rainy roads. Both overinflated and underinflated tires are unsafe and increase your chances of hydroplaning. Once you know your tires are properly inflated, check your tire tread too. If your tire tread is getting worn down, it might be time for new tires as this will reduce your grip on the road and make driving unsafe. 

Your Windshield Wipers: Replace any worn wiper blades and ensure they are in proper working order. 

Your Headlights And Taillights: Check your headlights, brake lights, and signals to ensure everything is working and you can be seen on the road. 

Test Your Brakes: Make sure your brakes are in great working order. Listen for sounds of wear, like squealing, grinding, or your car pulling off to one side. 

How To Stay Safe On The Road 

Once you have checked your car and ensured that everything is in working order, it’s time to go over some rules for the road to keep you safe all spring long. 

Watch Out For Potholes

Water can make potholes seem smaller than they are, and it’s easy to underestimate how deep a pothole is. Potholes can damage your vehicle, so be sure to be on the lookout for any, but avoid swerving to miss them- this could cause an accident. 

Don’t Flood Your Engine

Try to avoid standing water which can significantly harm your vehicle, including flooding your engine. Try to drive around any big puddles or drive very slowly to determine if you need to back out or not. 

Keep A Safe Distance 

Wet driving conditions can make breaking a lot harder. Aim to keep 2-3 car spaces in front of you when driving in the rain. 

Know-How To Handle Hydroplaning

If you happen to hydroplane while driving, it’s good to remove your foot from the gas pedal and slowly pump your brakes while steering forward. Try not to swerve or let your car turn. 

Driving in the rain can be scary, but if your car is in good condition and you follow these steps, you should have safe travels. If your car needs a little work to make it safer on the road, we would love to help. Call or stop by to make an appointment, and let’s get your vehicle ready for the rain.​