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Rain Magnifies Existing Bad Driving Habits

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Not only does a sudden downpour, a summer shower, a drizzle, or a sprinkle make driving more challenging, it makes you a worse driver. Bad driving habits are intensified by rain and if you are guilty of lazy, dangerous, or bad driving when the clouds break open, you could be putting yourself and others at risk.

The good news is that bad habits are meant to be and can be broken. With help from Christopher Lampton, writer at HowStuffWorks.com, you will be able to know how to and how not to drive in the rain.


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Lampton’s advises that when the rain is falling, drivers should avoid driving closest to the sides of the road because that’s where the most water will pool and drain.

Even if you have superhuman vision, other drivers probably don’t—especially in the rain when sunlight is diminished and visibility is compromised. So, put on your headlights—not your brights, though—advises Lampton, because it helps other drivers see you, which is a good thing.

If your windshield is flooded with water and your superhuman vision is failing, it’s time to stop and pull over as soon as possible, according to Lampton.

Lampton also warns against driving through an undetermined depth of water; if you can’t see the bottom, it’s not safe to cross.

“Every year hapless drivers figure their cars won’t be harmed by fording a tiny little stream of rainwater that couldn’t be deeper than, oh, an inch or so. You’d be surprised how many of these people then find themselves swept away, off the road and into a vicious current of rainwater that could carry them for hundreds of feet as they desperately try to get out of their car and grab a tree limb to keep from disappearing below the waterline. Better to wait out the storm and the rainwater than to lose your life — and quite possibility the lives of those near and dear to you — because you thought a little water couldn’t hurt you,” writes Lampton.


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Finally, Lampton advises you to match your speed to the weather conditions. In other words—slow down! Driving too fast on a wet road can cause you to hydroplane, a terrifying experience that has serious accident-potential.

When Mother Nature pours her heart out, you need to abandon your bad driving habits and drive smart.

News Source: How Stuff Works