While we’re grateful for the warmer weather that the dawn of springtime affords us, March and April also typically contain a fair amount of rainy days that can be hazardous to driving conditions here in Guilford County. Here are a few tips to help you stay safe on wet and slippery driving surfaces this spring:
Keep Both Hands on the Wheel. While this is always a good idea, it’s especially important when driving conditions are less-than-ideal. In addition to maintaining your own course, you should be more alert and be in “defensive driving” mode while the possibility of contending with erratic drivers, lane-swervers and unpredictable elements. You should keep a good amount of distance between yourself and the car in front of you as well in case you aren’t able to break as quickly as you’d like on a wet road.
Have Healthy Tires. Your tires’ tread should be in good shape in order for you to retain solid traction when driving on a wet road. Ideally, you should have 1/8” worth of tread in order to navigate slippery conditions. A simple way to check the depth of your treads is to insert a quarter into the crevice – if the top of George Washington’s head is covered, your tires should be okay to grip wet roads; if not, it might be time to consider investing in new tires.
Stay Calm! In the event that you do start to hydroplane, refrain from slamming on the brakes as this will make things worse – simply ease off the accelerator and gently steer your vehicle in a favorable direction until you feel your tires regain traction. You should avoid using cruise control when driving in wet conditions as it’s a lot harder to adjust your acceleration in the event of hydroplaning.
If you have any questions/concerns about your vehicle’s drivability in the rain, be sure to give our ASE-certified technicians a call at 336-294-2137; we’re dedicated to keeping you safely on the road year-round.