Rainy season is here, use these tips to be safe
Tampa has a lot of rainfall. Safety site run by Edmunds has some great safety tips when dealing with driving in the rain.
Here are some tips to help make you a little safer on the roads.
- Allow for more travel time. You should plan to drive at a slower pace than normal when the roads are wet.
- Brake earlier and with less force than you would normally.
- Most of America’s roads are crowned in the middle, which means that the water will run off to the sides. If possible, stay toward the middle of the road to avoid deep standing puddles.
- Don’t use cruise control. If you hydroplane, there’s the chance your car could actually accelerate. Cruise control also allows drivers to be less vigilant and to take their foot away from the pedals.
- If you see a large puddle up ahead, drive around it or choose a different route.
- Don’t attempt to cross running water.
- After you cross a puddle, tap on your brake pedal lightly to dry off some of the water on your rotors.
- Turn on your headlights, even when there’s a light sprinkle. It helps you see the road, and more importantly, it helps other motorists see you.
- Watch out for pedestrians. An ordinarily observant pedestrian may become distracted by fiddling with an umbrella or a rain slicker.
- If it’s raining so hard that you can’t see the road or the car in front of you, pull over and wait it out.
- Track the car ahead of you. Let the car ahead pave a clear path, so to speak, through the water.
- Give a truck or bus extra distance. Their extra-large tires can create enough spray to block your vision completely. Avoid passing one, but if you must pass, do it as quickly as safety allows.
- Defog your windows. Rain will quickly cause your windshield to fog up. Switch on both front and rear defrosters and make sure the air conditioning is turned on.
- If you start to hydroplane, don’t brake suddenly or turn the wheel, or you might spin into a skid. Release the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until the car regains traction.
As a personal injury attorney in Tampa for over 17 years, I have personally seen an increase in auto accidents during the rainy season. These tips can help you avoid car crashes and stay safe during the Florida rainy season.