Driving is an everyday task for most of us today. We drive to school, we drive to work, we drive to H-E-B for groceries, and we drive to our friend’s apartment even though they live in the same complex…no? That’s just me? Okay, well it happened.
Driving in Bad Weather:
Driving is an everyday affair but unfortunately for us, great beautiful weather is not an everyday affair. Sometimes you walk out to your car in the pouring rain, and sometimes you have to deal with the icy roads after a rainy and cold night. It’s in weather conditions like this where you really have to pay attention and focus when driving. All those things that they taught you in driver’s ed. that you don’t use ever, really come into play during bad weather.
Driving While Flooding:
Flooding is a big issue in Austin and in Central Texas. We never get rain but when we do it seems to rain tons and of course someone always tries to drive through a flooded zone. WHY? Why would anyone try that? “Don’t drown, turn around!” IT’S A SIGN ON THE ROAD. If you see that the road in front of you is flooded and no one is passing through you should definitely find an alternate route as I suspect that your car doesn’t transform into a speed boat. That would be really cool but I doubt you own that technology.
Drive Slow, Pay Attention:
If severe weather in the Austin area occurs, it’s important that drivers take extra precaution, starting with driving slow. If the speed limit says 30 [MPH], maybe drive at 25 [MPH] or just slower, that way you can make a safe emergency stop if needed. That way you’ll keep from hydroplaning or slipping and losing control of the car on an icy road. Traffic officers also advise drivers to increase the distance between your car and the car in front of you.
One of the most important things to remember is don’t text or talk on the phone behind the wheel, especially in bad weather conditions. Cell phones distract your driving and they take your attention away from the road, increasing your chance of an accident.
In bad driving conditions there are two things drivers should always do:
- wear a seat belt
- use headlights
General rule of thumb is that if you have to use your windshield wipers, you should have your headlights on. That increases the visibility to other motorists traveling around.
All of these rules are important, but the safest thing to do is to avoid driving in bad weather all together.
