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DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER

Bad weather affects your ability to control your vehicle. Stopping on wet pavement takes approximately twice the distance as stopping on dry pavement. On ice or sleet, it takes you five times the distance to stop. Leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you in any kind of weather.

About six times more people are killed on wet roads than on snowy and icy roads combined, and when it starts to rain; the roads are the most slippery. When the road is wet, your vehicle "hydroplanes" - the front tires literally lift so that the vehicle is riding on a film of water rather than the actual pavement. Hydroplaning begins at speeds as low as 35 miles per hour if the tires are worn. Do the following when driving on wet roads:

• Keep your mirrors cleared of water
  
• Avoid sudden braking and sudden moves of steering wheel
  
• If you are about to go through a large standing pool of water, slow down and turn on your wipers before you hit the water. As you leave the water, tap the brake lightly a few times to dry it out. If the car pulls to one side, pump the brake slowly and smoothly to dry the brake out.
  
• If you begin to hydroplane, hold the wheel steady, take your foot from the accelerator and gently pump the brake. If you turn the wheel from side to side to try and get down through the water, or if you jam on the brake, you probably will skid.

When visibility is poor, such as in dust storms, do the following:

• Slow down but avoid decelerating suddenly
  
• Watch the road ahead and behind carefully for other cars that are traveling slowly
  
• Turn on your lights, regardless of the time of day, and use your wipers. Never use the high beam on your headlights. The reflection of the beams from the dust will actually reduce your visibility. Even if the lights do not improve your own visibility (as in daylight), they will make it possible for other motorists to see you better.
  
• If you need to slow down, tap your brake pedal several times so that the flash of your brake lights will warn motorists behind you.
  

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