RAIN IS A GOOD THING...EXCEPT FOR DRIVING

Driving in the first rain of the season can be downright dangerous.  Why you ask?  Rain mixes with oil from motor vehicles and oil from new asphalt.  The result is a slipper roadway.  And only if it rains hard enough and long enough, does the rain wash off the oil and the slippery conditions are reduced.  the rain also makes it difficult to see.

Give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination when it is rainy outside.  Never rush when it's raining heavily: accidents are even more likely when weather conditions are poor.

Be more cautious with braking.  When you're driving in a downpour, you simply cannot brake late the way you can in ideal weather conditions.  The roads are slippery, which means you could slide more if you brake too quickly.  There's also a chance that you could get water in your brakes, which will cause them to lose their stopping power.  You want to avoid slamming on your brakes - when it's raining, you should brake with less force.  So be sure to keep plenty of distance between you and the car in front of you to avoid any of these situations.

Remember it is a law that you must have your headlights on when using your windshield wipers.  However, contrary to what you may think, using your high-beam headlights will actually make things worse: the light from the beams will reflect back at you off the water in the air, actually making it harder for you to see.

Do not use cruise control.  While you may think having your car travel at a set speed when it's raining is a good idea, cruise control can actually become problematic when it's raining.  If your car hydroplanes while you have your cruise control set, your car can actually accelerate - which is not something you want to happen when you are hydroplaning.  Having your foot away from the pedals can also be hazardous when you are driving in torrential rain.

Make sure your wipers and all lights are in good working condition before the rain starts.  Also, now is a good time to make sure your tires do not need replacing.  If you have any questions regarding your vehicle's readiness for the rainy season please call The Auto Analyst, your one stop auto repair shop at (530) 621-4591 or visit our website at www.theautoanalyst.com.  Your safety is our #1 concern!