Safety Office issues tips for driving safely in the rain

  • Published
  • By Air Force Flight Test Center Ground Safety
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Air Force Flight Test Center offers the following safety tips for driving in the rain.

- Turn on your headlights. It helps you see the road; more importantly, it helps other drivers see you. It's also California law.

- Check your windshield wiper blades. Dry rot happens quickly out here in the desert. Do not forget the windshield washer fluid. You never know when mud or dirt may be splashed up on the windshield.

- Keep your headlights and taillights clean -- again, see and be seen.

- Check your tires for proper inflation and tread depth. Most tires today have tread depth wear marks between the tire treads.

- During long dry spells, oil and grease can build up on the road. The roads become even more slippery during the first few hours of rain. Allow more distance for braking and slow down. Just because a roadway is posted as a 65 mph zone doesn't mean its safe to travel at that speed.

- Watch for water puddles in the road. Most roads are crowned in the middle allowing water to run off to the sides. If you are unable to avoid water puddles, drive slowly through them. Hydroplaning can occur and you may lose traction if going too fast.

- If you begin to hydroplane, let off the gas and  steer straight. If you must brake, be gentle on the pedal.

- Water flowing across the roadway as shallow as two feet deep can cause your vehicle to become buoyant and wash it downstream. Don't drown, turn around.