Safe wet weather driving - First Choice Info

Safe-driving on wet roads

Remember, for everyone in the vehicle, always buckle up for safety in all kinds of weather! Seat belts are there to be used all the time, from parking lot and neighborhood speeds to max. highway speeds.

(Note: This article only mentions about driving in the rain, and does not discuss the subject of driving on snow or ice.) The following is important information everyone must follow for safest driving in the rain!

For best results, as always, be sure, using an accurate tire gauge, that all of your tires are properly and evenly inflated. Always check tires after vehicle has been sitting for at least 2 hours in complete shade (with no tires exposed to direct sunlight), such as inside a partially-ventilated garage or outside on a fully-cloudy day or at night, etc.
A tire tread depth gauge is a good tool to own. The deeper the tread, the safer the tire will be when driving in the rain. Even in areas which have routine vehicle inspection, you should still occasionally check your vehicle for tire wear, burned out (especially any exterior) light bulbs, signals, brake light bulbs and switch, etc. Also be sure your windshield wiper system is working well.
Note that a number of vehicle owners may replace their wiper blades before they are actually ready for replacement. Even with new or near new wiper blades, if the windshield and wiper blades are dirty with a light-oily film (tire dust, road dirt, etc.), they will smear when used in the rain. Be sure to wash the windshield and rubber wiper blades with a non-oily, grease-cutting soap such as dishwashing liquid in water. Rinse the windshield and pulled-back wiper blades thoroughly with a garden hose or car wash hose. Still, many people don’t realize how much of a performance difference there is between clean wiper blades and windshield, and dirty ones.
Products such as Rain-X used on the exterior of the windshield are excellent to use where, at speeds of 35mph or higher, the wind blows off most of the rain water, giving excellent visibility even with the wipers turned off. Be sure to apply this chemical properly for best results. Note that products such as Rain-X are normally more effective in moderate to heavy rain, as compared to less performance in light rain, mist, or heavy fog, where the wipers would most likely need to be used more often or constantly, since small, lightweight rain particles stick more to a slippery windshield coating than do larger, heavier particles. Note that in heavy rain only, good quality windshield coating may also help increase visibility a noticeable amount at speeds of 0 to 34mph. Check it out sometime as I noticed these results myself.
Keeping the inside of all windows clean (Isopropyl alcohol and clean paper towels works excellent!) will significantly reduce the dangerous fogging problem, and the use of interior anti-fogging chemicals such as Rain-X is also a good idea.
Note that a good idea is to use a fume mask (respirator), safety glasses or goggles, and powder-free, disposable, nitrile gloves when using any chemicals such as these.
Vent shades or good interior ventilation combined with a good defroster system is always a big plus in helping to prevent windows from fogging up inside.
Another good point to remember is that the more moisture that accumulates inside a vehicle (rain brought inside by the wind, wet clothes, umbrella, shopping bags etc.) the more the windows can fog up after all doors are closed. Be sure to set up your ventilation and defroster system properly, and be sure all windows are 80% to 100% fog-free before driving the vehicle, again.
Note that when the interior air contains excessive moisture, warm air coming from low-level vents will normally fog the windows up more, whereas cool air from the defroster vents will help the most in de-fogging the windows, especially the windshield.
MORE INFO ABOUT TIRES: Hydroplaning is a very dangerous situation that every motorist must avoid! Do not ever drive at excessive speeds in the rain! Always “underdrive” the wet weather performance capabilities of your tires. The following is only a basic example of driving safely in moderate-to-slightly heavy rain: With all tire treads having good to excellent depth measurements, generally 7/32” min. depth to “new condition depth”, do not exceed 60mph on straightaways, regardless of any higher speed limits. Note that a max. of 50 to 55mph is significantly safer than the 60mph max., especially with treads that are 5/32” or 6/32” (3/16”) deep. In the heaviest rain, sometimes you may need to consider a max. speed of only 35 to 45mph, depending on conditions and, again, regardless of any higher speed limits. Always remember that cornering speeds must be significantly reduced, also, when the roads are wet. Braking distance is also significantly increased in wet weather.
Also, use extreme caution even when roads are just starting to get wet. The longer the period of dry weather, the more of a thin oily film must be washed off by some constant rain. In many situations, after a long, dry weather period, the road will be more slippery during the first 5 to 10 min. of moderate or heavy rain than it would be for the remainder of the rain storm.