Living in Texas, we all know that rain can be tricky to drive in. While we certainly need the precipitation for our lakes, rivers, and grass, the hot, dry weather can make a rain shower more difficult to drive. Exercise extreme caution if rain has followed a long dry spell. During a dry spell, engine oil and grease collect on the road. When new rainfall hits, the surface becomes very slick. Continued rainfall will eventually wash away the oil, but the first few hours are the most slippery so bear that in mind.
Here are a few rainy day tips to help keep you safe on the road.
Allow for more travel time... Traffic will be moving slower. Your normal route might be flooded or jammed, so don't blow a fuse if it is - everyone's in the same car-shaped boat. Turn your headlights on...even in light rain. Not only will your lights help you see the road, but they'll help other drivers see you.
Brake earlier and easier than normal... This increases the stopping distance between you and the car in front of you and lets the driver behind you know that you're slowing down. Be sure to use turn signals, so that other drivers can read your intentions easily.
Keep an eagle eye out for pedestrians and cyclists... Visibility is lower for everyone plus raindrops deaden sound, so the usual visual and audio cues for measuring car distances become obscured. Pedestrians are also impatient to get out of the rain so may make rash crossing decisions.
Defog your windscreen... Rain will cause your windscreen to fog up quickly. Switch on both front and back defrosters/heaters and make sure the air conditioning is also turned on.
Avoid large puddles (if possible)... The hard ground in Texas does not soak in the rain like most places causing the protentional to flood and it may be hard to know how deep the puddles could be. Water splashing up into your car's engine compartment may damage its internal electrical systems or a pothole under the water could damage your rims or even knock your suspension out of alignment. If you can't gauge how deep it is, avoid it.
Make sure that your wipers are functioning correctly... If the blades are brittle or damaged, replace them before you're caught in a storm.
Reach out to the team at Seymour's Garage for your next auto repair and maintenance needs.