South-West Insurance Agency, Inc.

RAIN CAN HURT YOU!

Streaky windshields, night glare and pounding rain can considerably reduce a driver’s ability to see. Wet pavements, covered with road film or spotted with oil, grease and dirt make quick stops impossible. During dry periods a layer of residue builds up on the highway surface and when it rains, the residue loosens forming a slick film on the road. Wet roads may double the required stopping distance. Another factor affecting the ability to stop is tire hydroplaning. At certain speeds, tires lift off the pavement to be supported by water alone -- an affect similar to a water skier zipping across a lake. For driving in the rain, keep the following tips in mind.

Replace Your Wipers. Rubber wiper blades deteriorate when exposed to sun or temperature extremes.

Turn Your Lights On. With good wipers and defrosters you may see others, but can they see you? Use your low beams. You’ll be seen by pedestrians and other vehicles. Never drive with only your parking lights burning. In many states it is now the law that when the wipers are on, the headlights must be on.

Watch Surface Conditions. Even though the rain has stopped, the streets may remain slippery. Traffic statistics indicate that high accident rates often continue for three to four hours after the rain stops.

Beware of Deep Puddles. Check your braking ability immediately after driving through deep water. Try to dry wet brakes by repeatedly pumping the brake pedal or by “dragging” your brakes for a moment or two.

Slow Down. Reduce your speed on wet roads. Beware of “hydroplaning” on high speed expressways. You may lose ability to steer as well as your ability to brake. Safety experts estimate that it takes a heavy rain a half hour to wash away the oil slick and a lighter rain takes longer. As your vehicle rolls along on wet pavement, a layer of water builds up ahead of the front tires. When the tire treads can no longer disperse this water, the wheels are lifted up in much the same way water lifts a water-skier. The danger of hydroplaning is always present on wet or slushy roads. Hydroplaning occurs at virtually all speed ranges depending on road conditions. As you increase the speed of your car, the chances of hydroplaning become greater. Speeds in excess of 50 mph on wet pavement are considered to be in the “extreme danger zone.”

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3. Don’t approach your credit limits. Keep close tabs on your card balances relative to spending limits. Even if you dutifully pay off a card’s balance in full each month, if what you owe on the closing date exceeds 30 percent of your limit, you may be dinging your score. “Look at the balance as a percentage of you limit, and if you repeatedly max out a card, you might talk to the credit card company about increasing your limit,” Weston advises. She also cautions to make sure that your card issuers are accurately reporting your limits on your credit reports and to check each monthly statement to make sure those limits haven’t suddenly gone down.

4. Limit new credit applications. Each new application can lower your score. Be wary of opening new lower-rate cards so you can shift balances. “People must understand that moving your debt around is not lowering your debt,” Cunningham says. A possible exception: If you have a maxed-out credit card and you can move some of that debt to cards with lower rates, you may improve your overall credit utilization ratio and your credit picture fairly quickly. "It’s better to have a small balance on a number of cards than a big balance on one card,” Weston says.