If you have lived in Florida for even one summer, you know how fast the weather can turn. One moment the sky is clear and sunny, and twenty minutes later you are sitting in a downpour so heavy you can barely see the car in front of you. It happens fast, it happens often, and it catches drivers off guard more than you might think. With Florida's rainy season running from mid-May through October, brushing up on your Florida rainy season driving tips is one of the simplest things you can do right now to help protect yourself and everyone else on the road from the risk of getting into or causing an auto accident.
Slow Down & Increase Your Following Distance
Speed limits are set for dry road conditions, not wet ones. When it rains, roads become slicker, braking distances get longer, and reaction times that are fine in dry conditions can fall short in a downpour. Slowing down, even just 5 or 10 miles per hour below the speed limit during the rain, gives you more time to react and more room to stop. Pair that with extra following distance from the car ahead of you, and you significantly reduce your risk of a rear-end collision.
Prep Your Car Before the Season Starts
The rainy season is not the time to discover your car is not ready for wet conditions. A few simple checks before the first major storms arrive can make a difference in how your vehicle handles on a soaked road.
As soon as you can, take a look at the following:
- Windshield wipers: Replace your blades if they are more than a year old. Worn wipers streak and skip, leaving gaps in visibility that make driving in the rain riskier.
- Tire tread: Shallow tire treads cannot channel water away from the road surface effectively, which dramatically increases your risk of hydroplaning.
- Tire pressure: Underinflated tires compromise your vehicle’s connection to the road, which matters even more when conditions are wet.
- Brakes: If your brakes have been feeling soft or slow to respond, wet roads will only make that worse.
A quick trip to your mechanic before the rainy season peaks is a small investment that can pay off significantly when storms start rolling in daily.
Turn Your Headlights On
In Florida, you are legally required to turn on your headlights whenever your windshield wipers are in use. It is not just a safety suggestion, either. Under Florida Statute 316.217, you must use your headlights from sunset to sunrise and during inclement weather like rain and fog. Headlights help other drivers see you in low-visibility conditions. Consider this hint: If your wipers are on, your lights should be on, too.
Know What to Do If You Start to Hydroplane
Hydroplaning happens when a layer of water builds up between your tires and the road surface, causing you to lose traction and, in some cases, steering control. If you feel your car begin to hydroplane, resist the urge to brake hard or jerk the wheel. Instead, ease off the accelerator gently, keep the wheel pointed in the direction you want to go, and let the car slow down naturally until your tires regain contact with the road.
Never Drive Through Flooded Roads
It is easy to underestimate how little water it takes to make a road genuinely dangerous. Just six inches of moving water can knock a person off their feet, and a foot or more can sweep a vehicle off the road entirely. If you come across a flooded stretch of road, turn around. The risk is never worth the shorter GPS route, and many flood-related driving tragedies happen to people who thought the water was shallow enough to drive through safely.
When in Doubt, Pull Over
Sometimes the rain gets bad enough that the safest thing you can do is simply stop driving. If visibility drops to the point where you cannot safely see the road ahead, find a safe spot to pull off, like a parking lot or a well-lit area away from trees and power lines, turn on your hazard lights, and wait it out. Florida's storms are intense, but they also tend to move through quickly.
After a Rainy Weather Crash, Call Our Firm
Following Florida rainy season driving tips can go a long way toward keeping you safe, but not every driver on the road takes the same precautions. If you are injured in a car accident caused by a driver who was speeding, tailgating, or otherwise driving recklessly in wet conditions, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries and losses.
At The South Florida Injury Law Firm, we represent drivers throughout South Florida who have been in serious car accidents. We are available 24/7 to talk through your situation at no cost, so it is always the right time to talk to us. Stay safe out there and know that we are here if you need us.
To talk to us after a car accident anywhere in South Florida, call (888) 906-4423 and schedule our FREE case evaluation.
