The Rain and Your Brakes

Water on the roads isn’t good for anybody, and it really causes havoc with the ability to stop your car.  Inevitably, you’re going to drive through a puddle, and that’s likely to splash water up into your brakes.  A light tap a few times afterwards will actually help dry the brake pads to help you stop better the next time.

Got your cruise control on?  Turn it off!  Cruise control works on how fast it “thinks” the car is going. If you happen to hydroplane with cruise control on, those wheels will start spinning crazy-fast and you could have some big troubles once the tires make contact with the road again.

Lastly, if you hear some temporary squealing in your brakes after it rains that could be a couple of things.  Sometimes a little harmless rust forms on the surface rotors and makes noise until it gets knocked way, or trapped water in little grooves heats up and actually whistles like a tea pot as it steams away.  If the squealing lasts more than a minute or two, you might have something completely different going on and you may need to bring your car in for a complete check.

Beyond that, all the other safe driving rules apply:  Don’t drive through standing water, slow down during rain, and bring an umbrella.  You don’t want your hair all mussed up, do you?