Your automobile may have seen more sunshine than raindrops during the California drought, but becoming overconfident in your car’s safety, and your rainy day driving, leads to costly and dangerous mistakes. Here are the top precautions you should take when the rainy season beings.
Automobile Tips for a Rainy Day
Preparing your automobile for the rainy season is a bit like how you prepare yourself for it. First, you check your equipment. Has your umbrella has seen better days or have the kids outgrown their rain jackets? With your car, you should check the tire treads, the condition of windshield wipers and all lighting systems before the forecast sends you into a panic. It’s also the best time to test your defroster, before you find yourself frantically wiping at a steamy window. Your car only performs as well as its worst piece of equipment, so prepare now and avoid stress later.
One area not directly related to rain that we also suggest checking is your battery. While rain doesn’t typically cause a dead battery, you’ll find you’re much more frustrated stuck with a dead battery in a downpour than on a warm, sunny day.
Once your equipment is good to go, remember that you must drive differently in rain. Just as you take more precautions walking on slippery steps and sidewalks, plan extra time for trips, slow down and always leave extra space between you and the vehicle ahead – even in stalled traffic. You don’t have to start a pileup to end it. Slow, steady speeds and generous spacing save many rainy day blues.
Your automobile does its best to protest you from the elements, so return the favor with a pre-season check-up. At A-1 Performance Auto Repair, we work to keep you and your vehicle safe through any storm.
