In any of the below conditions, stay vigilant and calm. Do not use cruise control or allow yourself to become distracted.
Dark streets
Streets without street lights can feel unsafe. Use your high beam lights when no other cars are oncoming or in front of you.
Slippery roads
Drive slower than normal.
- When the road is wet reduce your speed by 5 mph or 10 mph.
- If there is snow on the road, reduce your speed by half. Be careful steering, braking, and turning.
- Avoid driving on icy roads whenever possible because stopping distances increase by 10x!
Keep in mind that bridges and roads shaded by trees or buildings will freeze faster and thaw out slower.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is when your tires lose contact with the pavement and your vehicle slides out of control for several seconds. If you are driving at night and on slippery roads, slow down even more. Even a small puddle can be deceptively deep and cause your vehicle to hydroplane. An early sign you might hydroplane is if your steering wheel feels very light or overly easy to turn.
- Do not slam on your brakes but instead allow your vehicle to slow down gradually and make contact again with the road.
- Slow down when you must go through a puddle or a flooded section of a road.
- Avoid flooded areas wherever possible.
- Vehicles driving by (especially heavy ones) will spray up water and may blind you. Keep your hands on the wheel and stay calm until the spray passes.
Driving in fog
It is to be avoided whenever possible. Even very bright tail lights or headlights are hard to see in dense fog.
- Drive very slowly and use your fog headlights until visibility clears Do not use high beam headlights in fog.
- Be sure you can stop within the amount of space that you can see in front of you and adjust your speed accordingly.
High winds
High winds can be surprisingly dangerous. The taller your vehicle, the more gusts of wind can jerk the wheel as your car gets pulled with the wind. The more exposed you are on the road, the more the wind will impact your vehicle.
- Always keep your grip firm on the steering wheel when in windy areas.
- Give bicyclists and motorcyclists extra space because they can be pulled in front of you by the wind.
- If there is dust in the wind, turn on you lowbeam headlights to help other drivers to see you.
Sun glare
Sun glare can be minimized by
- wearing polarized sunglasses
- keeping your windows clean
- having working visors
- keeping your wiper fluid full to maintain a clean windshield.
