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Rain Driving Tips April showers do bring May flowers, and it's safe to say we're all looking forward to it, but unfortunately that's not all they bring. The spring rains we get can also lead to some hazardous road conditions. Now, this isn't southern California; we know how to handle a little rain now and again, but we think it's never a bad idea to get a little refresher on how to best handle road conditions for the upcoming season. Today we'll let you know our best rain driving tips, and hopefully our local roadways will be incident-free throughout this much-anticipated Spring! Lights on for safety! Turn your lights on - Many new cars nowadays have daytime running lights that are just always on when your vehicle is running. We're partial to that idea, as it promotes safety and visibility and there's really no downside. But for those of you with manual daytime lights, please remember to always turn them on if its raining. Even if it's just misting  a little, it's really best to keep them on to ensure that you're as visible as possible to all other vehicles sharing the road. Slow down - This might be the most obvious tip, but in our experience its also one of the least-followed: When road conditions are less than ideal, go less than your ideal speed. Maybe you'll reach your destination a little later (how much later, really, anyway?), but you're more likely to get there safely if you take your time. And remember, just because you're confident in your vehicle, tires, reaction time, and everything else it takes to drive well in precipitation, not everyone else does and there's nothing you can do about that other than keep and eye on your own speed and try to mitigate problems that way. It's worth it. The better the wipers, the better you can see. Check your wipers - When was the last time your replaced your windshield wipers? These are two of your greatest weapons against the decreased visibility that's associated with heavy rain. If your wipers are in good shape, you're likely to be able to see more during the big rain storms. Have you ever driven a car with worn, poor-quality wipers? It's not fun. Don't be that guy. Our service department can get you hooked up with a new pair in minutes. Be alert to  hydroplaning - In a particularly heavy rainfall of if you're on a street that's prone to flooding, you might experience hydroplaning, which is when your car has little or no contact with the road. This is very dangerous, but it's important that you stay calm, take your foot off the gas, and steer very gently in the direction you want to go in, ideally one in which you can stop hydroplaning as quickly as possible. Any questions about driving in rain, or want to learn more about our service department? Feel free to give us a call!