If you’ve ever been caught running in the rain or dancing in the rain, then you know just how slippery the ground can get. Now imagine you’re dealing with that as you’re driving.
Driving is scary, even more so when it’s raining. You would have to account for a lot of things you wouldn’t on a normal day, like slippery roads or water on your windshield.
Indeed, driving in the rain is scary business. According to the Federal Highway Administration, approximately 1,235,000 car crashes occurred due to bad weather, with 46% of them happening in the rain.
But you don’t have to be afraid! Despite the challenges driving in the rain could pose, there are several safety precautions you could implement to ensure your safety (as well as others’) on the road!
CHECK YOUR LIGHTS
Proper communication with other drivers is essential in safeguarding your life from any harm, and it becomes all the more crucial when driving in the rain. To other drivers, your car lights flickering is a signal of what you’re planning to do. Therefore, be sure the following car lights are working:
- Brake light
- Tail light
- Turn signal light
Check your brake light bulb if it’s still working as well as your tail light bulb. Your brake light signals whether you’re stopping or slowing down to other drivers while your tail light indicates if your car is turned on. Don’t forget to also check your turn signal bulb! Using your turn signal tells other drivers on the road if you want to make a turn or if you’re planning on switching lanes.
CHECK YOUR MIRRORS
The ability to see the road from all directions is key to safe driving, that’s why you must check your mirrors when driving in the rain. To ensure your safety, each side mirror should be angled properly as well as your rearview mirror since you’re dealing with slippery roads. Given that each side mirror is angled aptly for you, this will help you gauge whether it’s safe to switch lanes. A properly-angled rearview mirror also allows you to be receptive to other drivers on the road. For example, if the turn signal light of the car behind you is flickering, they’re communicating to you and the other drivers that they intend on switching lanes.
(310) 526-8383CHECK YOUR WIPERS
When driving in the rain, it’s important that you’re able to see the road in front of you. So before you decide to seize the day and trek slippery roads, you will need to check if your front windshield wipers are working properly. Newer models may also have rear windshield wipers, so be sure to check that one as well.
DRIVE EXTRA CAREFULLY
The basic tenet of safe driving is to be careful, but driving in the rain demands you to be extra careful. Given that you’ve followed the steps above, all there is left to do is to be extremely cautious when driving. You must review your basics:
- Make sure you hit the brakes from time to time so that you can drive slowly.
- Look at your blind spots and each side mirror before switching lanes. Don’t forget to use your turn signal!
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
You can drive as carefully as you can, but your chances of getting into a car crash is never zero especially with horrible weather conditions. Accidents happen, and when they do, you will need a team of personal injury lawyers to help you with the aftermath. Omega Law Group is here to help. Call us now at 866-942-3881.
Visit our office at:
8350 Wilshire Blvd., Third Floor Beverly Hills, CA 90211.
