We are picking up where last week’s post left off, talking about risks that California drivers face during the summer months. Summer presents its own set of challenges to drivers, even drivers who are sober and paying attention to the road. Some of them we have control over, but some of them we just have to watch out for.
- Visitors: Many of the drivers clogging local roads may also be on vacation. Visitors may not be familiar with the roads or may drive erratically — slowing down, turning with little warning — as they try to navigate strange city streets and highways.
- Hydroplaning: When the rain finally comes to California, drivers may not remember how to drive on wet roads. It’s hard to believe, but rainwater may collect on the roads, too, and the risk of hydroplaning increases. Tires usually scatter the water on the roads, but there are times when there may be more water on the road than the tire can scatter. When water pressure pushes water under the tire, the tire leaves the road. It may be just a thin film of water that keeps the tire from meeting the pavement, but it is enough for the tire to lose traction and send the vehicle into a skid.
- Blowouts: According to Insurance Services Inc., the risk of a tire blowout increases in the summer. The air in the tire expands, and if the tire is already worn or somehow compromised, it can blow. At highway speeds especially a tire blowout can cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. Esurance recommends checking tires regularly over the summer, particularly during heat waves.
We have just a few more, and we’ll finish this up next week.
Source: Esurance.com, Dangers of Summer Driving, accessed June 17, 2015
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