Driving in Bad Weather
Driving Technique
— Always
drive slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your car longer to
react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss
of control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious for the first few miles of
driving while you adjust to the
change in driving conditions. This
is especially true in snow. A person
can forget some snow-driving tech-
niques during the summer months.
Practice is needed to relearn those
skills.
Exercise extra caution when
driving in rain after a long dry spell.
After months of dry weather, the
first rains bring oil to the surface of
the roadway, making it slippery.
Visibility
— Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are impor-
tant in all weather conditions. This
is more difficult in bad weather. To
be seen more clearly during day-
light hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers frequently. Keep the wind-
shield washer reservoir full of the
proper fluid. Replace the wind-
shield wiper blades if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the defrosters and air
conditioner to keep the windows
from fogging up on the inside (see
page
69
).
Traction
— Check your tires
frequently for wear and proper
pressure. Both are important in
preventing "hydroplaning" (loss of
traction on a wet surface). In the
winter, mount snow tires on all four
wheels for the best handling.
Watch road conditions carefully,
they can change from moment to
moment. Wet leaves can be as slip-
pery as ice. "Clear" roads can have
patches of ice. Driving conditions
can be very hazardous when the
outside temperature is near freez-
ing. The road surface can become
covered with areas of water pud-
dles mixed with areas of ice, so
your traction can change without
warning.
Be careful when downshifting. If
traction is low, you can lock up the
drive wheels for a moment and
cause a skid.
Driving
CONTINUED
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