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Some Tips For Driving Safely In The Rain

Have you ever wondered why people instinctively slow down when driving in the rain? If you were in a hurry, you probably muttered under your breath, cursing other drivers for their needless worry. In fact, slowing down when the weather’s wet is a good idea. When it’s raining, your visibility is significantly reduced. Even if the rain has stopped falling, the roads can be slick; your tires lose traction due to the wetness.

In this article, I’m going to give you 4 quick tips for driving safely in the rain. Because the cold, wet weather is practically upon us, it’s more important than ever to take precautions on the road.

Tip #1: Plan Your Braking

Your car may have anti-lock brakes, but they won’t do much good if you’re skidding along the surface of the road. When it’s raining, brake early. Remember, your tires will have less traction; the sooner you start braking, the better. What’s more, your brake lights will give the driver behind you more time to stop, too.

Tip #2: Be Careful After Dry Spells

In locations that experience constant drizzling or even periodic torrential downpours, the oil on the streets washes away. But, if you live in an area that experiences very little precipitation, that oil tends to accumulate, seeping into the road. When the first rainfall comes, the oil rises to the surface, causing the road to become slippery and dangerous. Be careful.

Tip #3: Replace Your Wiper Blades

During the warm, dry months, the last thing on your mind is replacing your windshield wipers. Too often, motorists neglect them, allowing the rubber blades to become dry and brittle. When that happens, the rubber can start breaking apart, essentially becoming useless during wet weather. The next time you take your vehicle in for an oil change, have the mechanic replace the wipers. It’s a small investment for improved visibility during the rainy season.

Tip #4: Use Your Headlights Responsibly

If one of your headlight bulbs has burnt out, replace it. As noted above, when it’s wet outside, your visibility drops. You need to use your headlights for your own safety as well as that of other drivers. Also, don’t use your high beams in the rain. Not only will the light reflect back, further reducing your visibility, but you’ll also make it more difficult for other motorists to see. Be safe and considerate.

Avoiding An Accident

Thousands of people are injured each year while driving in the rain. In most cases, the reason is due to negligence or impaired ability. Both are avoidable. Plan to brake early, take extra care after dry spells, and keep your wiper blades maintained. Finally, use your headlights responsibly, for your safety and others. By following those 4 simple tips, you can avoid becoming a statistic in the wet weather.

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More Common Car Questions

Continuing our series about vehicles, the parts that make them run, and the strange noises and symptoms that can manifest, we’re going to cover 3 more common car questions. If you’ve been following along, you already know about turn signals failing, tire hum, engine stalls, and other little quirks. Today, we’re going to quickly explore your car’s brake system (and the banshee-like wail that can come from it), type of gas you use (is premium really necessary?), and warming up the engine before hitting the gas pedal. That’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started.

#1 - What Squealing Brakes Mean

Chances are, you’ve experienced the piercing shriek of your brakes sometime in the past. A lot of drivers who hear it are confused about why it’s happening. As you already know from past columns, your vehicle’s brakes are comprised of pads, calipers, and rotors. Any of those 3 parts can be causing the problem. For instance, the pads are usually connected securely to the calipers. If, for some reason, the connection becomes loose, the pads can vibrate and you’ll hear the squeal.

It can also happen as a result of the pads creating friction against one another. If the material is solid enough, the friction will create the squeal. One last note: when you take your car into the shop for a brake job, the mechanics are supposed to resurface the rotors. If they forget (hey, they’re human), you’ll hear the squeal.

#2 - Should You Use Premium Gas?

You’ve probably noticed that every type of gas has a rating for its octane level. But, you may not realize how it impacts your vehicle. A quick review: your car’s engine creates a combustion process while you’re driving. Gas is burned during this process. The level of octane identifies how volatile the gas will be during combustion. The lower the rating, the higher the volatility. So, should you spend the extra money and use high-octane gas? In most cases, no. You probably won’t get as much value from the extra expense.

#3 - Warming Your Car

We’ll cover this one very quickly. A long time ago, vehicles had carburetors which required you to let the engine idle for a few minutes before hitting the road. The reason was because a temperature-controlled spring influenced the choke. When temperatures dropped, the choke would close. So, letting the engine idle was necessary. That’s no longer the case because most cars use fuel injection systems. If you see someone idling their engine, they’re usually just wasting gas.

In the next installment of this series, we’ll be covering a few more topics on the road to educating you about your vehicle. Stay tuned.

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Car Parts And Mistakes: Cause And Effect

Your vehicle has a way of letting you know when something is wrong. The most obvious signs are the lights on the dashboard, but billowing smoke from your exhaust pipe, lurching while driving, and engine stalls send a clear signal, too. In a lot of cases, drivers will ignore seemingly benign warning signs, hoping that the problem will simply go away. Unfortunately, that often leads to expensive repair work. Today, we’re going to look at 3 red flags that your vehicle raises in order to make you aware of a potential issue. I’ll also briefly describe what can happen if you ignore them.

#1 - Oil Indicator Light

For some reason, a lot of motorists think their vehicle’s oil indicator light can be ignored. Admittedly, few people enjoy lifting the hood and getting their hands dirty while replenishing the oil. But, it’s critical that you do it. If you ignore the light, and the oil level drops, the parts inside your engine will start to grind against each other. That creates excess friction and heat. Let it go too long and you should start saving money for a new engine.

#2 - Puddle Of Gas

Have you ever noticed a small puddle of gas underneath your car and wondered what had caused it? Your first instinct might be to push it out of your mind, but consider what can happen. First, the gas is probably coming from a leaking fuel line in your vehicle. A fuel leak is obviously a fire hazard, especially while driving. Don’t panic; your car isn’t going to explode into a 65-mph ball of fire on the highway. But, if a fire develops (and it can do so easily because of your engine’s combustion process), your car will sustain major damage. Fix the leak if you see a puddle.

#3 - Puddle Of Coolant

Your vehicle shouldn’t be leaking coolant, either. If you see a small pool of it, it’s likely that there’s a leak in water pump. Now, before you say, “No problem, coolant is cheap. I’ll buy more,” think about what happens to your engine when there’s no coolant: it overheats. If you’ve ever driven past a stranded motorist with billowing white smoke coming from under his hood, you’ll realize that an overheated engine is bad. But, it get worse; the head gasket can blow. If it does, find your credit card. You’ll need it. Of course, you can avoid the problem altogether by fixing the water pump when you discover coolant leaking.

Watch For Signs Of Trouble

You already know that most of the problems that can occur under the hood are avoidable (for awhile, at least). The key is taking action when you notice them. A lot of times, car parts manifest signs that something is wrong (for example, a small pool of gas). When you notice the signs (they’re usually obvious), take your vehicle to a mechanic to have it checked. You can save thousands of dollars over the long haul and preserve the life of your car.

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