Map your route if you are driving to a new location. Being lost sucks, but being lost in the rain sucks even more! You might want to get familiar with an alternate route also, just in case flooding or unexpected street closures arise. If you are driving to a familiar destination, you may want to still look for an alternate route, especially if you remember seeing "FLOODED DURING RAIN" signs. Chances are that road is flooded.
Also, expect traffic to be very heavy and give yourself more than enough time to travel to your destination.
Websites such as sigalert.com or maps.google.com broadcast up-to-date traffic mapping which will help you set realistic expectations. Also listen to local radio or newscasts for street closures or other hazard warnings.
Bring an umbrella! I almost hit two people today who ran out of a building to cross over to the parking lot with their jackets pulled over their heads. :| Bring your umbrella and you will significantly lower the chances of being hurt or killed. It's dangerous enough that visibility is low and the roads are slick. Running to and fro with a half squint and a jacket (or papers, etc) blocking your peripheral vision is the perfect storm for pedestrian-caused accidents. Walking with calm will also help you avoid some of the many pitfalls of hasty, wet pedestrians such as:
slipping and falling
landing on a puddle of water
sinking into mud
falling into a trench
Oh, and it will also keep you dry and warm!
So remember, the more your prepare for being a Roadie in the rain, the safer and less frustrating the experience will be.
Well, that concludes my TOP 5 Tips for driving in the rain. Please continue checking in as I give more miscellaneous tips for driving in normal and not so normal conditions. Also, I will update some of these blogs as time goes by, so come back and read them again as a refresher. You might find something new you did not read before...
Safe Driving!
the Driving Dude
I hate being a passenger during the rain. I get really anxious. I worry that the driver will be hydroplaning, weaving through traffic, speeding, or just plain being stupid like talking on the phone while driving on a slick freeway. It happened to me on Thursday. I was scared, but we made it home. Never again though. Some people don't know that you have to be an exaggeratingly-cautious driver when it's wet.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, keep up the blogg!