PEMCO’s rainy day primer here. Are the following true or false?
1. If possible, stick to the middle lanes when it’s raining.
2. Replace wiper blades every two years.
3. Intersections, on- and off-ramps and parking lots get slicker in the rain than other stretches of road.
4. Cruise control improves safety when it’s raining.
5. Generally, the deeper your tire tread, the less likely you are to hydroplane on wet roads.
6. Avoid driving in the tracks of the vehicle in front of you on wet roads.
7. If you skid on a wet road, brake normally if you have antilock brakes.
8. Tapping your brakes lightly after driving through a puddle will help dry them.
9. Headlight glare intensifies in the rain, so leave lights off unless it’s after dusk.
10. Posted speeds take into account rainy conditions.
The out basket: I got it wrong right off the bat when I calculated that road spray and oncoming traffic would make the middle lanes less safe. Most roads are crowned in the middle so rainwater runs toward the outside, making the middle lanes safer, says PEMCO.
Two is false. Change wipers every year.
Three is true. Road oils accumulate more in low-speed areas, making them slicker by comparison.
Four is false, contrary to what I wrote years ago when the notion that cruise control can cause a car to accelerate wildly if it breaks traction on a wet road first turned up in one of those alarmist e-mails.
I didn’t see the idea gain credence for several months, but PEMCO now says to make it a rule: Wipers on, cruise control off. At minimum, it says, cruise slows your ability to recognize and respond to changes in road conditions.
Five is true. Poor tire tread plus speed contribute to loss of traction, says PEMCO.
Six is false, it says. Tracks of cars ahead of you displace water, creating a drier surface.
Seven is true, it says. Pumping brakes works only on cars without anti-lock brakes.
Eight is true, it says, but it’s better not to have to do it at all by staying out of standing water if you can’t be sure it’s shallow.
Nine is false. Headlights should be on if the wipers are on, it says. Many cars have the headlights on whenever the engine is on, and having your lights on makes you easier to see under all conditions.
Ten is false, says PEMCO. Always reduce your speed for less than optimal conditions.
1 comment:
WOW....I did pretty good on the test. But then I have had four kids take Drivers Ed in the last number of years so I have heard most of this stuff...Was that cheating??? :-)
Love those pics. Ahhhh. the cowboy boots...loved my little boys wearing their cowboy boots and hats and blanket capes and swords that lit up...and lightsabres...
Who knew one of them would wear combat desert boots and carry a rifle and a huge missile launcher...It's a good thing mamas don't know this when they are so cute in those little boots....
God only gives us what we can handle at the time...with HIS help.
Love you Joyce. Hope you have gotten some rest, and your mama is rebounding!!! Blessings way out there . HUGS...
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