April 15, 2022
Drive Like a Pro with These 10 Helpful Tips
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Everyone knows that wet weather driving can be dangerous. Things like hydroplaning and skidding on slippery roads may be hard to avoid. Plus, your ability to see may be hindered, which means you got to be extra careful to ensure your safety and that of your passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists.
While maintaining control of your car on wet roadways can be difficult, you can take (and not take) certain steps to tackle rainy-day driving like an expert. Veteran Car Donations shares these useful dos and don’ts to remember while driving on a rainy day.
- DO: Slow down.
Always allow yourself plenty of time to get to your destination, even if it means your late arrival. Since hydroplaning usually takes place when cars are traveling too fast, slowing down is a smart move. There’s no need to rush, even if you have an important appointment to keep.
- DO: Provide more room for other cars.
When visibility is low, double the following distance to a minimum of 4 seconds. This may look like a large gap between you and the vehicle in front of you, but that’s OK. That way, you’ll have more time to respond to any eventuality in front of you.
- DO: Check your wipers before driving.
Before taking your car for a wet drive, make sure that your wipers are clean and working properly. Old wiper blades are pretty much useless on rainy days, and they can affect your visibility. When you’re driving during a heavy downpour, driving with old wipers may just be like driving without any wipers.
- DO: Use your headlights.
Turning your headlights on even during a drizzle can give you a better and clearer vision of the road. At the same time, it will make it easier for other drivers to see you. Just be sure to avoid using your high-beam headlights since the light they produce can distract other drivers.
- DO: Learn how to handle a skid.
If your vehicle starts skidding, stay calm and don’t panic. Keep on steering in the direction you’re going, maintain mild pressure on the brake pedal, and don’t slam on your brakes.
- DO: Drive in the middle lane.
Since water tends to pool more in the outer lanes, it’s best to stay in the middle lane during rainy days.
- DO: Pull over if the rain is too heavy.
The moment you find yourself struggling to control your car, or you can’t see vehicles ahead of you anymore, you need to pull over. Look for a shed and wait for the rain to slow down. Don’t forget to keep your lights on, including your hazard lights to warn other drivers of your presence.
- DON’T: Use cruise control.
Using cruise control in wet conditions is never a good idea as this can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Preventing traction loss requires you to reduce speed by easing off the accelerator. Cruise control makes that impossible to achieve. Also, driving during rainy weather means you have to be fully engaged, which is another reason to avoid cruise control.
- DON’T: Drive in areas prone to flooding.
If you’re not familiar with the roads that are often flooded, you need to learn where they are. By knowing which roads get affected the most by strong rains, you can avoid them and take a different route instead.
- DON’T: Drive if you don’t have to.
Unless you’re going somewhere that’s extremely important, like your sister’s wedding, for instance, you don’t have to hit the road during heavy rain conditions and flooding. You wouldn’t want to risk your life just because you want to buy some groceries or go on a date, would you?
Don’t Know What to Do with Your Damaged Car?
Let’s face it: Vehicles that are more than a decade old or those that have been severely damaged by storms, floods, or some other severe weather conditions won’t get an attractive spot in the used car market. If you happen to have an outdated or damaged car, you’d be spending a big chunk of money for its repairs before you can place it up for sale, and it might take months of waiting before somebody buys it.
What if we told you that we have the best solution for you? This win-win solution will save you money while helping improve the living conditions of the suffering veterans in your community. All you have to do is turn over that vehicle to us at Veteran Car Donations.
We’ll sell your vehicle and then transfer the proceeds to our nonprofit partners. These IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are dedicated to helping veterans who are homeless, disabled, jobless, and sick, including those who are suffering from mental health conditions.
They use the funding we give to help cover the costs of their operations. Thanks to your donated vehicle, needy vets in your area will receive financial aid, free medical treatment, employment opportunities, family support, psychological services, housing assistance, and other benefits.
In exchange for your generous contribution, we’ll reward you with certain perks that you’ll surely enjoy, including our free towing service, a fast and paperless donation process, and a top tax deduction.
As for vehicle donations, we accept almost all types regardless of their age or condition. We won’t mind taking in damaged vehicles and those with missing or defective parts. You can also donate anywhere in the country since we operate in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
For more information about our vehicle donation program, visit our FAQs page. Should you have any concerns or questions you want us to address, feel free to call us at 877-594-5822 or leave us a message here.
Help Provide Our Heroes a Brighter Future
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio under Pexels License
Together, we can make it possible for our hurting heroes to experience the decent and satisfying life they deserve. Donate your no-longer-needed vehicle to Veteran Car Donations so we can turn it into a life-changing instrument for them. Call us at 877-594-5822 or fill out our secure online donation form now!
Last Updated: August 23rd, 2023