RAINY DAY BENEFITS FOR YOUR CAR AND PERSONAL SAFETY

Everybody likes to avoid wasting money when they can, especially when it comes to car upkeep. Driving on a rainy day can be a costly and dangerous idea unless you and your vehicle are well prepared.

Many drivers disregard the impact rainy weather can have until its too late, but a couple of smart driving tips from the experts at Jungerman CARSTAR Auto Body Repair in St. Peter's MO, part of the nations largest chain of collision repair shops, can keep you out of trouble. Knowing how to drive defensively in the rain is a good investment in you and your car or truck.

Here are a few ideas from Jungerman CARSTAR Auto Body Repair in St. Peter's MO, also serving St. Peters, St. Charles, O'Fallon and Lake St. Louis MO, that make both sense and cents.

• Before it starts to rain, change out old or brittle wiper blades.
  
• Check all of the vehicles light bulbs to make sure they are working.
  
• Stay toward the middle lanes – water has a tendency to pool in outside lanes.
  
• Maintain proper following distance (3 second rule). This needs to be greater in wet weather.
  
• Drive in the tracks of a vehicle ahead of you.
  
• Don not follow large trucks too closely, because the spray created by their large tires can reduce vision.
  
• Be more alert watching for brake lights in front of you.
  
• Avoid using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.
  
• Turn your headlights on anytime you feel a need to use your wipers, in a light rain and in gloomy, foggy, or overcast conditions to help you see the road and help other drivers see you.
  
• Do not use cruise control on rain soaked roadways – you will have better control in wet weather without it.
  
• Never drive through moving water if you can not see the ground through it; your vehicle could be swept off the road.
  
• Watch out for places where floodwater builds up, particularly low-lying roads adjacent to streams, and dips under rail or highway bridges.
  
• Avoid driving through deep water, because it can cause serious damage to a modern vehicles electrical system.
  
• If possible, stay off the road during heavy thunderstorms. Large flashes of lightning can temporarily blind and disorient drivers, and the accompanying high winds and heavy rain can create deadly driving conditions.
  
• When you need to stop or slow, do not brake hard or lock the wheels and risk a skid. Maintain gentle pressure on the brake pedal.
  

Jungerman CARSTAR Auto Body Repair in St. Peter's MO also knows a most unwelcome situation – hydroplaning – may develop when conditions are wet. Vehicle speed, tire tread depth and water depth all factor into hydroplaning.

As speed increases, wet traction is considerably reduced. Maintaining sufficient treading on tires and replacing them when necessary can help prevent hydroplaning. The deeper the water, the sooner you will lose traction, although even thin water layers can cause a loss of traction, including at low speeds.

If you find yourself hydroplaning or skidding, Jungerman CARSTAR Auto Body Repair in St. Peter's MO offers the following advice:

• Do not brake or turn suddenly.
  
• Ease your foot off the gas until the automobile slows and you can feel traction on the road again.
  
• Turn your steering wheel in the direction of the skid. As you regain control, gently straighten the wheels.
  
• If you need to brake, do it gently with light pumping action. If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, then brake normally because the car or truck’s computer will mimic a pumping action.