Rainy days can be great when you’re sitting at home, having a cup of tea, and enjoying nature’s own personal white noise soundtrack. Once you leave your house, however, the joy of a rainy day can quickly turn into a soaking-wet nightmare.
The reality for drivers is that rain-soaked roadways around California are not only full of dangerous standing water but they’re also littered with nasty debris and other drivers who seem to think a rain-soaked road is an invitation to drive like they’re in Formula 1. It’s no wonder that According to the Department of Transportation, 75 percent of weather-related vehicle crashes occur on wet pavement and 47 percent happen during rainfall. Yikes!
So, how do you stay safe out there on the road during inclement West Coast weather? Let’s dive right in.
If there’s one thing you can keep in mind on a rainy day it’s that you need to slow down when the streets are wet. Way down.
When roads are wet, it causes water to pool up underneath your tires as you drive along. Once that happens the tire can actually lose contact with the road surface, and ride on top of the water in a phenomenon known as hydroplaning. Since cars aren’t supposed to have water skis, this is a very bad situation that could result in a potential loss of control, along with longer stopping distances and a lack of grip during acceleration. Throw in some worn-out tires and you have a recipe for disaster.
The solution? Slow the hell down! Yes, we know you’re late for work or yoga class, but slowing down will ensure that your tires maintain their grip on the pavement and you don’t lose control.
When was the last time you took a look at your tires to make sure the tread was in good condition? Never? Yikes.
We’re all extremely busy people and that means that little things, like tires, tend to go by the wayside. Once wet weather kicks in, a worn-out tire can spell disaster for you out on the road. Worn tires mean your tread is gone, and if the tread is gone, there is nothing to evacuate the water from beneath your tires as your drive along. Stopping will take longer, and performing any sort of evasive maneuver could lead to a spin-out or a crash.
Take a penny and place it upside down in the tread of your tire. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, that means that it’s time to get down to a tire shop.
If you’re hunching down to see through your windshield when the rain is pouring down, it’s time to replace your wiper blades.
Over time, the rubber on your wiper blades wears out thanks to the sun, road salt, and whatever else lands on your windshield. You should replace your wiper blades twice a year, and since this is something you can do yourself with no tools, there is no excuse to not get it done. In addition to functioning wiper blades, it’s good practice to run your defroster during rainy days. Defrosters help ensure that moisture doesn’t gather on your windshield and cause any visibility problems.
There’s no greater luxury than a clear windshield on a rainy day, period.
Even if you follow these rules to a ‘T’, there is still a chance that your car can become damaged from mother nature’s fury or a fellow human’s negligence.
From a shunt at a stoplight to a tree branch that falls on your beloved ride while parked at the gym, there are nearly endless scenarios that mean your car, truck, van, or SUV may need some triage and T.L.C. thanks to nasty wet weather. Perhaps your car just needs a new set of tires or a new set of brakes to better deal with the upcoming weather. Whatever the situation may be, ServiceUp can help.
Rather than brave the rainy roads and deal with sitting around at the dealership, ServiceUp will pick up your car, take it in for service and then drop it back off to you. Our autobody shops and car repair professionals have an average of 25 years in the business and are ready to help nurse your car back to life. Plus, we back up all our work with a 2-year/24,000-mile warranty.
Do you really have time to deal with repairing your car in the middle of a storm? We didn’t think so either. Let ServiceUp make your next rainy day the relaxing experience it should be.
ServiceUp makes car repair easy. No more waiting around - we’ll pickup, repair, and deliver your car back to you. A dedicated service advisor will keep you updated ever step of the way.
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