Driving in the rain is an unavoidable part of life. Whether you live in a rainy region or simply spend most of your time in a car, you’ll inevitably come across driving in the rain.

While it might be unpleasant and make you feel anxious, you don’t have to be afraid of the wet pavement. If you follow these 6 driving tips in the rain, you can stay safe and not cause unnecessary stress to yourself. These tips will help you achieve a level of comfort as you drive in the rain.

Pull Over

If you ever feel a lack of control over your vehicle, the best decision is to pull over and wait until the rain stops. Driving in the rain can be dangerous because it’s hard to see long distances in front of you. If your vision is obscured or impaired, it increases the risk for an accident. Pulling over helps prevent this from happening. You don’t have to worry about potentially crashing into another car or running off the road as you concentrate on driving again.

Don’t Tailgate

One of the biggest mistakes that people make in the rain is driving too closely to the car in front of them. This can cause visibility problems because of the rain or just a general lack of visibility because of the weather. It can also be dangerous if you’re not able to see when you need to stop for traffic lights, or if you hit someone who stopped abruptly.

The best way to avoid tailgating is by maintaining an appropriate distance from the car ahead of you and being aware of your surroundings so that you don’t have to slam on your brakes at the last second.

Slow Down and Watch Out For Wet Roads

The first thing you should do when driving in the rain is slow down. You don’t have to go as fast, and you don’t have to adjust your speed to match the pace of other drivers on the road. It’s important that you keep a slower pace because wet roads are more likely to cause accidents.

It’s also helpful to pay attention to what other drivers are doing so that you can anticipate how they’ll behave on the road in the rain. When it rains, drivers tend to go slower and brake more often so you might need to be more mindful of that when driving with them.

Change Directional Signals

One of the most common mistakes people make is forgetting to change their directional signals after passing another car. This leads to confusion and can lead to dangerous situations.

When you approach a car in front of you, it’s important to turn your directional signal so they know you’re coming. If you don’t, they might think you’re going to pass them on the left side and move over into your lane. If this happens, you could get into a collision because both cars are moving in the same space at the same time.

To avoid this, always remember to change your directional signal when you pass another car! And if someone passes you and doesn’t have their directional signal on, slow down or stop so that they can go around safely.

Make a Point to Signal and Give Way

Driving in the rain is tough. There’s less visibility, higher chances of hydroplaning, and the risk of skidding or sliding. And if you happen to be driving in a region that has large amounts of heavy traffic, the likelihood of accidents increases. To make matters worse, drivers are more likely to do things like forget to signal when they need to change lanes and not give way when needed. The best thing you can do for yourself is make a point to signal and give way when necessary so that you don’t put yourself at unnecessary risk.

Avoid Cross-Traffic and Overtaking

When driving in the rain, you’ll want to avoid crossing traffic and overtaking. When you cross traffic, you’re risking being involved in an accident from oncoming cars. If you overtake, it increases the risk of hydroplaning.

Crossing traffic is a dangerous situation when it starts raining. Drivers don’t watch for pedestrians as carefully in the rain, and more people are on the street trying to get where they’re going quickly. You never know if someone is going to step out into your lane or when another car will appear from an unexpected direction. The best thing is to try and get a spot up ahead so that you can cross without having to drive through all the water on the road that may make your car shake or your tires lose traction.

Stay To The Right When Driving Straight

You should always stay to the right when driving straight. This will provide you with more visibility in front of you and make it easier for you to stop or avoid obstacles if necessary.

Conclusion

Driving in rain can be tricky. Not only do you have to deal with poor visibility and slick roads, but you also need to watch out for other drivers who might not be as cautious as you are. Follow these six tips and stay safe on rainy days.

  1. Pull over immediately if you start to feel unsafe or if your car is not handling well.
  2. Don’t tailgate other drivers, and make sure you’re paying attention to the speed limit.
  3. Slow down and watch out for wet roads. If the roads are too wet, or if it’s raining hard, find another way to get to your destination.
  4. Change directional signals in case of a blown tire or car breakdown.
  5. Make a point to signal and give way when changing lanes or turning.
  6. Avoid cross-traffic and overtaking.
  7. Stay to the right when driving straight, so that other cars don’t have to cross lanes of traffic to get around you.