Tips for Driving Safely in the Pelting

While rain is helpful for crops, landscaping, and lawns, it can make driving hard and, at times, downright unsafe. The 5th Gear Automotivemechanics in Lewisville, TX offer the following tips to keep y'all condom and improve your driving experience in the rain:

  • One of the nigh of import things you tin do is to slow down. In rain, specially moderate to heavy rain, it is more hard to run into pedestrians, wildlife, livestock, and other traffic in the route. Non only tin can your visibility be severely limited, it volition take longer for you to stop safely on wet roads. Slowing down reduces the altitude required to brake and may mean the difference between being involved in an blow or non. Simply i more reason to ensure your brakes are in peak condition and, when in doubtfulness schedule an inspection with our mechanics in Lewisville, TX.
  • Inspect your wipers for impairment. If your wiper blades are torn, worn, cracking, skipping, or streaking, it's fourth dimension for new ones. Installing new blades tin improve visibility, consequently improving your reaction fourth dimension when unsafe situations bear on your commute. If you are unsure about installing new wipers, Fifth Gear Automotive mechanics in Lewisville, TX volition be glad to install new wiper blades for you.
  • Distractions are a common cause of accidents; focus on the road and bulldoze. Driving in dangerous driving conditions is not the time to be talking on the phone, looking at a rider while y'all talk, hunting for a radio station, fumbling for a CD, or eating. Continue both hands on the cycle, your optics on the road, and your attention focused on driving safely.
  • Turn off the cruise control and reduce your speed. Don't attempt to go along up with other cars that are speeding, stay below the speed limit and maintain a safe speed that allows ample distance for braking.
  • Don't tailgate the motorcar in front end of you. Call back, it takes longer to cease on wet roads.
  • Remember the rules for skidding and hydroplaning (more on this below), both of which are major risks on moisture roads, even for the safest drivers. Rules for safely handling skids and hydroplaning begin with not slamming on the brakes, and steering slowly in the direction needed. Furthermore, consider running tires designed to minimize hydroplaning with your next set of tires. Fifth Gear'smechanics in Lewisville, TX can provide tire recommendations if yous are uncertain, as well as installation, wheel balancing, and four-wheel alignments when you need it.
  • Stay in the middle lanes (when practical), equally water tends to pool in the outside lanes.
  • Drive in the tracks of the vehicles that accept traveled ahead of you. You lot'll find that the tire tracks from previous vehicles are often drier.
  • Don't follow big trucks or other oversized vehicles. The spray created by their larger tires significantly reduces your ability to see.
  • Watch for restriction lights in front of you, and ensure all of your lights are functional. If yous need headlight replacement, repair of restriction lights or driving lamps, schedule your machine service today by our dedicated mechanics in Lewisville, TX.
    • Special note: Use your lights safely! Do not turn on your brights! Many people mistakenly retrieve that turning on their brights tin maximize their visibility in averse conditions, withal they take the opposite effect of being reflected off the pelting or fog in the air and back into the driver'southward optics, greatly reducing visibility!
  • Avert unfamiliar off-roads, and never drive through standing water. It'south difficult to accurately judge the bodily depth of puddles and standing water where you tin can easily become stuck or swept away in flood atmospheric condition. It takes very petty water to lift a vehicle and carry it away.
  • Whenever possible, stay where you lot are until conditions better. If you lot don't take to travel during a heavy thunderstorm, expect until it is over. Blinding lightning, high winds and heavy rain all make for dangerous driving conditions, not to mention the added risk from other drivers on the road who might be careless or inexperienced.
  • Watch out for low areas of the road where rain or alluvion water collects, particularly depression-lying roads side by side to streams, and at the foot of hilly areas. Slow downwards to assist forestall hydroplaning.

More than Most Hydroplaning

Hydroplaning occurs when the h2o in forepart of the tires builds up faster than the vehicle can push out of the way. The loss of traction occurs due to a thin layer of water between the tires and the road. The tires can completely lose contact with the pavement which (plain) poses the danger of full loss of control. The chance of hydroplaning on a wet road increases with speed, and by having under-inflated or worn tires.

How to Command Hydroplaning and Skids

  • • If your vehicle hydroplanes or skids do not brake or turn the cycle suddenly
  • • Ease your human foot off the gas until the vehicle slows and yous tin feel traction on the road once again
  • • Turn your steering wheel in the direction of the slip
  • • As y'all recover control, gently straighten the wheels; and if you need to restriction, use gently calorie-free pumping activeness.
  • • If you have passed through deep water, check your brakes. Bulldoze slowly while lightly applying the brakes to dry them out. Ensure they are functioning properly earlier speeding up. Information technology is possible for water-saturatedbrakes to warp afterwards drying. If you hear an unusual dissonance afterwards driving through heavy water, schedule a checkup with our mechanics in Lewisville, TX.

Fifth Gear Automotive'smechanics in Lewisville, TX provideds full-service for all makes of automobiles and specializes in European automotive repair and maintenance. When your vehicle requires service, repair, or other needs, Fifth Gear Automotive is your one cease shop for quality automotive services performed by our highly trained and certified technicians. Visit our auto repair shop in Lewisville, TX for all of your automotive needs.