Buick Regal: Driving on Wet Roads

Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction and affect your ability to stop and accelerate.

Always drive slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid driving through large puddles and deep-standing or flowing water.

Warning: Wet brakes can cause crashes.

Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. Driving through flowing water could cause the vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warnings and be very cautious about trying to drive through flowing water.

Hydroplaning

Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under the vehicle's tires so they actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When the vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.

There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.

Other Rainy Weather Tips

Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips include:

• Allow extra following distance.
• Pass with caution.
• Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
• Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir filled.
• Have good tires with proper tread depth.
• Turn off cruise control.

Hill and Mountain Roads

Driving on steep hills or through mountains is different than driving on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:

• Keep the vehicle serviced and in good shape.
• Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires, cooling system, and transmission.
• Shift to a lower gear when going down steep or long hills.

Warning: Using the brakes to slow the vehicle on a long downhill slope can cause brake overheating, can reduce brake performance, and could result in a loss of braking.

Shift the transmission to a lower gear to let the engine assist the brakes on a steep downhill slope.

Warning: Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with the ignition off is dangerous. This can cause overheating of the brakes and loss of steering assist. Always have the engine running and the vehicle in gear.

• Drive at speeds that keep the vehicle in its own lane. Do not swing wide or cross the center line.
• Be alert on top of hills; something could be in your lane (e.g., stalled car, accident).
• Pay attention to special road signs (e.g., falling rocks area, winding roads, long grades, passing or no-passing zones) and take appropriate action.

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