The One Thing You Should Never Do While Driving in a Rain Storm

Every year, the rainy season hits and creates trouble on roads everywhere. Rain reduces visibility, produces unexpected hazards like downed trees, and creates an overall chaotic atmosphere for drivers attempting to navigate the wet terrain. You may feel like a pro at driving in rain storms, but you can never be too careful. Rain and storm-related crashes account for the highest percentage of all weather-related vehicle incidents. Indeed, wet roads account for 1.2 million traffic crashes each year. For that reason, we've put together a helpful guide for driving in rain storms safely and effectively. (For frozen roads, here's one thing you should never do when driving on ice.)

To compile a list of helpful tips for driving in a rainstorm, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of automobile, insurance, and news publications including The National Traffic Safety Institute, AAA, and The Los Angeles Times. Next, we picked the best tips and techniques for driving safely through heavy rain and storms (including what not to do). After that, we confirmed aspects of our research using government databases like The Federal Highway Administration and Bridgestone Tires.

It's always important to maintain your vehicle. Your car's ability to handle adversity will be tested during a severe rain storm so it's wise to make sure your vehicle is in tip-top shape. This is especially true with components like windshield wipers. Visibility is already low during a rainstorm. If your windshield wipers aren't working properly or at all, it could make you road blind and put you in danger. Most of the time, windshield wipers hardly factor into your driving experience so you may not even consider them. Realizing that your wipers aren't working well after it's already started raining is, however, the last thing you want to happen.

Just because your wipers are working (moving up and down) doesn't mean they are doing a good job of keeping your windshield clear of water. It's important to check the wiper's mechanical turning mechanism, to be sure, but you also should make sure that the wiper's rubber grips are making good contact with the glass and clearing collected water. This also goes for your rear wipers. Visibility is important in both directions. Having an obstructed back window can be just as dangerous as a water-logged windshield.

Cruise control is a handy feature that is available in most modern cars. It allows you to press a button and relax as your car maintains a certain speed. This feature works great on straightaways in dry conditions, but it is suboptimal for rain. Weather like rain or storms often requires making moment-to-moment adjustments to your driving speed, direction, and handling. Cruise control takes over, so it's not wise to rely on this feature when dealing with rain.

That said, there's a lot of misinformation on the internet about the relationship between cruise control and rain. Some sites say you should never use cruise control in the rain. Others say it's perfectly fine. While it's smart to avoid cruise control in unpredictable conditions, it's not necessarily dangerous. When driving through rain, tire treads wash away water and keep in contact with the ground. Too much water will and your tire treads won't be able to maintain contact, which can cause skidding or sliding.

Cruise control, however, has nothing to do with this. According to an investigation from the automobile publication Jalopnik, when skidding happens, cruise control automatically turns off. Any type of traction control or stability event will turn off cruise control. This isn't unique to certain vehicles either, as all cruise control systems installed from the 1990s onward function the same way.

Tire treads and pressure are aspects of your car that you should always be maintaining. This is especially true during rain storms or heavy rainfall. Your car may come equipped with all the best safety systems like ABS or lane-keeping assist, but these won't matter much unless your tires are in good condition. Tires are the first point of contact with wet roads. Good, inflated tires will make driving through water no problem. Bad tires or ones lacking inflation or tread, however, can make it hard to keep control, and potentially, cause you to slide out.

Checking the health of your tires can be done relatively easily. Tire pressure can be measured with built-in gauges or at most gas stations using air pumps. Even if you don't have built-in tread wear indicators, a simple visual inspection should clue you in if your tires still have grip or need servicing. Tread can wear out on each wheel differently, which likely means you're having problems with wheel alignment. If the tread looks good to go, run your hands over the tires, particularly the sides. If you discover damage or holes it's best to get that fixed before it causes serious problems. Whatever the case, tires are the first line of defense against rainy conditions so it's important to make sure they are water-ready.

Driving in the rain requires patience and care. This extends to your acceleration levels as well. There's no reason to drive fast in the rain, especially since your tire treads will have more trouble than usual keeping good contact with the road. Even during a light rainfall, fast speeds can easily cause your car to slide out of control. A mere 1/12 inch of water on the road forces tires to displace a gallon of water per second to keep a good grip.

If you drive too fast on wet roads, you run the risk of sliding out or hydroplaning. Even if your car is equipped with brand-new tires, speeds as low as 35 miles per hour can cause tires to lose contact with the ground. The less you speed in rainy conditions, the more you increase safety. This extends to courtesy as well. Driving fast in heavy rain may cause panic in other drivers. Plus, if you hit a puddle at a fast enough speed you may splash a cyclist or pedestrian.

Water has some unique effects and can spell trouble for even the most careful driver. Heavy rainfall might produce hazards along the road like fallen powerlines, downed trees, deceptively deep puddles, and more. Puddles, in particular, can hide dangerous hazards like potholes. Hitting one of these will easily damage your car's suspension, wheels, or even axle.

Heavy rain might cause a host of unexpected problems for your vehicle. If it hasn't rained for months, it may be best to avoid driving for a couple of days. That's because a dry period causes fluids like engine oil or grease to collect on roads. Once water hits, it makes road surfaces extra slippery. Though these elements wash away after a few hours, it can be quite dangerous to drive in the interim.

Being wary of rain extends beyond hazards produced by moisture. It reduces visibility and produces unexpected circumstances that even seasoned drivers find hard to manage. Wariness should be a governing attitude for driving in the rain. It will help mitigate the unpredictable aspects of water on roads. A good rule of thumb involves road markings. If you can't see road lines, the water is probably too deep to safely drive through.

Driving slow will help you keep control of your car in the rain, but what about braking? You could be driving as slow as a snail, but if you brake too hard or suddenly, safety goes right out the window. Water already decreases tire traction, so when you brake too fast, you may lose control completely. That's why it's important to increase the stopping distance anytime you need to brake. This extends to any brake point including stoplights. As you approach a traffic light or stop sign, braking sooner than usual and with a smoother motion will help your car better adjust to wet road conditions.

More than just braking cautiously, it's best to take your foot off the accelerator pedal sooner than normal. Braking technology has advanced leaps and bounds in recent years, but it's not wise to rely on such features during rainy, unpredictable conditions. Instead, use your own judgment to adapt your braking style to the weather.

Otherwise, you run the risk of hydroplaning, which can put you in serious danger. Hydroplaning happens when a film of water over the road causes your tires to lose contact. When this occurs, you will lose control of the car and it may spin out. Hydroplaning is scary but it can be relieved by taking your foot off the pedal and letting the car slow down enough to make contact with the road. At the same time, gently steer your car in the direction you want to go. Panicking and braking will only make your car spin out further. (For colder conditions, here's the best advice for driving in the snow.)

Heavy rain or storms require the utmost alertness to drive through safely. Roads are slicker, other drivers are more panicky, and untold obstacles may sit between you and your destination. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 75% of all weather-related accidents happen on wet roads. Plus, 45% of weather-related accidents occur during rainfall.

You really can't be too careful when driving on wet roads or during rainfall. All caution will improve your odds of making it to your destination safely. It's imperative to stay alert to every change in the environment, be it another driver or a hazard caused by moisture. Driving in the rain may feel cozy, but it's not the time to eat a meal or blast music from your car stereo. These types of behaviors are distracting enough in normal, dry conditions. In wet conditions, they put you in serious danger.

This means you should be minding your proverbial p's and q's. Keep your eyes apprised of the road while checking your mirrors every five to eight seconds. Avoid jerky movements and refrain from slamming on the accelerator and brake pedals. Make sure your windshield wipers are moving at a rate conducive to your visibility. If you notice your windshield fogging up, quickly turn on the air conditioner or demister. Implementing these tactics will improve your safety.

Alertness extends to the vehicles around you as well. As previously mentioned, extra distance should be considered when braking, especially if you are behind another car. You never know the condition of other people's cars. Other cars on the road may not be equipped for unpredictable and rainy conditions. They could very well skid out in front of you, forcing you to react quickly and putting your own safety at risk.

That's why it's best to keep more distance than usual between you and the car in front of you. Wet roads require more space to brake safely. The last thing you want is to underestimate the length of road needed and go crashing into someone's bumper. This also extends to large vehicles like trucks or buses. Big enough vehicles can produce a wake of water behind them. This may splash water on your windshield and blind you to the hazards ahead. These large water wakes may cause you to hydroplane as well.

Headlights are paramount when driving through rainy or stormy conditions. Water on the roads and in the air reduces visibility drastically, so it's important you can see where you're going at all times. This is such an important factor that many states require headlights in the rain by law. Plus, newer models of cars might have different headlight options. Choose the best one for the environment you're dealing with. Sometimes, strong headlights don't seem to help you see better through the rain. They will, however, keep you visible to other drivers. Beyond headlights, it's important to make sure all your car lights are working well. You may be breaking safely, but if you're brake lights are busted, it won't matter. Braking carefully is equally as important as letting other drivers know you are breaking. See and be seen and things will go smoothly.

The danger of driving in heavy rainfall or storms cannot be understated. That's why it's important to humble yourself before nature's wrath and consider your options. If the weather is too extreme, you can probably put off your trip to the grocery store for a couple of days. Even if you are intending to return home from a long trip, it's best to exercise caution if the weather is too extreme to manage. There's no reason to trade expedience for safety. Even the strongest rainfall will let up eventually. Why not wait until it's safe to drive?

With modern technology, there are plenty of ways to stay apprised of the weather conditions. Various apps like the Bureau of Meteorology app can give you the latest weather warnings and traffic alerts. Plus, many counties provide up-to-date weather alerts for localized areas. Let's say you get one of these alerts and discover parts of your planned route are flooded. If that's the case, do not drive. Flooding is a serious hazard and puts even the most confident driver at risk of injury or even death. Various studies suggest that 60% of all flooding fatalities occur in vehicles. Interestingly enough, studies (as published in the Guardian) also suggest that confident male drivers in 4WD vehicles suffer the most fatalities in flooding.

Even if there isn't flooding on your planned route, it's best to play it safe. If your drive is in progress and visibility becomes too low, pull your car over and wait it out. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 5,700 people are killed in car crashes on wet pavement each year. Another 3,400 people are killed in crashes during rainfall. That's why it's best to play it safe when it comes to rain. There's no reason to become a statistic. (For disappearing locations, discover travel destinations that may not be around in as little as a decade.)