{"id":4847,"date":"2019-02-18T16:31:49","date_gmt":"2019-02-18T21:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thinknts.com\/?p=4847"},"modified":"2019-02-18T16:31:49","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T21:31:49","slug":"rain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/rain\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Safe Driving in the Rain"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4849\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thinknts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unknown.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unknown.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unknown-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Driving in the rain can be a slippery situation \u2013 slick road conditions, poor visibility and possible hydroplaning or skidding are some of the potential risks. More than 1 million weather-related crashes occur each year \u2013 mostly on wet pavement and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov\/weather\/q1_roadimpact.htm\">nearly half<\/a>\u00a0while it\u2019s raining.<\/p>\n<p>Smart drivers know techniques for driving in the rain,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/exchange.aaa.com\/safety\/roadway-safety\/wet-weather-driving-tips\/#.Vi5sjtKrSCh\">avoiding hydroplaning<\/a>\u00a0and using the vehicle\u2019s safety features. Here are some tips for driving in wet conditions that you can save for a rainy day.<\/p>\n<h2>Use your safety features wisely<\/h2>\n<h3>Headlights<\/h3>\n<p>This one is important: Turn on your headlights while driving in the rain \u2013 day or night. Many states require it. You\u2019ll see better, and other drivers can see you better too.<\/p>\n<h3>Defroster<\/h3>\n<p>To clear fogged-up windows, turn on the defroster.<\/p>\n<h3>Tire tread<\/h3>\n<p>Examine the tread on your tires. Worn tread decreases traction and increases the likelihood of skidding. Test your tread by inserting a penny between the tread upside down: If Lincoln\u2019s head is covered, tire tread depth is good. If Lincoln\u2019s head is uncovered, it\u2019s too low, and the tire should be replaced.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.nationwide.com\/when-to-replace-tires\/\">Click here<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0more pro\u00a0tips on when you should change your tires.<\/p>\n<h3>Cruise control<\/h3>\n<p>Do NOT use cruise control on wet pavement. Cruise control may interpret loss of traction as reducing speed and increase acceleration to compensate, which may cause the vehicle to veer dangerously.<\/p>\n<h3>Windshield wipers and water repellent products<\/h3>\n<p>It sounds obvious, but turn on the windshield wipers when it rains. You need a clear view. You can also use rain repellent products on windows to help proactively clear water from the glass.<\/p>\n<h2>Avoid hydroplaning<\/h2>\n<p>Hydroplaning (or skidding) occurs when a vehicle loses traction after it hits a patch of water. Water builds up on front of the tires so fast that the car\u2019s weight can\u2019t push it out of the way \u2013 causing it to ride on top of the water and slide until traction is restored.<\/p>\n<h3>Tips to avoid hydroplaning<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Maintain a controlled speed, especially on curves.<\/li>\n<li>Steer and brake lightly; sudden corrections can cause you to lose traction.<\/li>\n<li>Keep tires properly inflated and be sure there\u2019s good tread depth.<\/li>\n<li>If you do start to hydroplane, stay calm, ease off the gas and don\u2019t suddenly apply the brakes or jerk the steering wheel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Use these techniques for driving in the rain<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times.<\/li>\n<li>Eliminate distractions \u2013 cell phones, radio, people talking, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Keep six car lengths between you and the car ahead.<\/li>\n<li>Maintain a safe speed. A rule of thumb: Reduce your speed by 10 m.p.h. for each level you increase your windshield wiper speed.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid flooded roads. Deep water can stall your engine and even cause your vehicle to float.<\/li>\n<li>Drive in the middle lanes, since water is usually deeper in the outside lanes.<\/li>\n<li>Drive in the tracks of the vehicles ahead of you.<\/li>\n<li>Be careful around large trucks and buses. Don\u2019t follow too closely; spray from their large tires can hit your windshield and temporarily obscure your vision. Pass with caution, but get around these large vehicles quickly and safely.<\/li>\n<li>Watch for brake lights ahead.<\/li>\n<li>If the visibility is poor, pull off onto the shoulder until it clears.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Nationwide Insurance Vehicle Safety Article<\/p>\n<p>March 18, 2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Driving in the rain can be a slippery situation \u2013 slick road conditions, poor visibility and possible hydroplaning or skidding are some of the potential risks. More than 1 million weather-related crashes occur each year \u2013 mostly on wet pavement &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/rain\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newsroom"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4847"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4850,"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4847\/revisions\/4850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keyweb1.com\/nts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}