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Your Driving and the Road
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much
water can build up under your tires that
they can actually ride on the water. This
can happen if the road is wet enough and
you're going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn't happen often. But it
can if your tires haven't much tread or if
the pressure in one or more is low. It can
happen if a lot of water is standing on the
road. If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops "dimple" the water's surface,
there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher
speeds. There just isn't a hard and fast
rule about hydroplaning. The best advice
is to slow down when it is raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlights
-
not just your parking lights
-
to help
make you more visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some
extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to
have your view restricted by road
spray.
Have good tires with proper tread
depth. (See "Tires" in the Index.)
City
Driving
One of the biggest problems with city
streets is the amount of traffic on them.
You'll want to watch out for what the
other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in
city driving:
Know the best way to get to where
you are going. Get a city map and plan
your trip into an unknown part of the
city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and
crisscross most large cities. You'll
save time and energy. (See the next
section, "Freeway Driving.")
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