SUMMER DRIVING TIPS

Summer is peak driving season for road trips and vacations and the roads are busier than ever. Summer also brings with it different weather conditions that can make driving more difficult. To get you through fog, heavy rains, and many more severe conditions, we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you drive safe through your summer vacation.

Driving in Fog

• Use your fog lights. The yellow light cuts through fog better than the white light bulbs normally in headlights. They’ll light the ground up well to make roads and lines visible.
• As you’re driving up to the fog bank, slow down to give the other drivers behind you room to navigate. Also, slow down when coming to a hill because you may not see another driver ahead.

Driving in Rain

• In heavy rains, always go 5 – 10 miles below the speed limit in order to avoid hydroplaning. If you do hydroplane, don’t panic and just slow down until the car return to normal.
• Because flood waters are hard to measure in terms of depth, it’s best to avoid flood waters so the car won’t stall out.
• After you run through a puddle, lightly tap the brakes and let your foot off the gas to create tension and heat which will return the brakes to normal.

Car Troubles

• Make sure that the car is in the shoulder lane and out the way of oncoming traffic. Also, turn on your hazard lights and set flares 100, 50, 25 feet away from your car to be even more visible to other drivers.
• Stay with your car always. You can lose your sense of direction walking in a storm.

Stay Ready, Be Ready

• Clean your headlight covers. This will allow more light to shine out and illuminate the roads more effectively for you.
• Keep an emergency kit in the trunk. You never know when it might come in handy.
• Use the penny test to check the tire treads. The treads on your tire and create traction against water, which makes it a lot safer to drive in dangerous conditions.

For more information on how to stay safe on the road in any condition, visit Safe Driving Tips for Bad Weather.