How to drive safely in heavy rain
In heavy rain, turn your headlights on, slow down well below the limit, and double the gap to the car ahead. Skip cruise control. If the car hydroplanes and the steering goes light, ease off the gas and keep the wheel straight until you feel grip; do not brake hard. Never drive into water over the road. If you cannot see, pull well off the road and wait.
Why it matters: Hydroplaning and flooded roads catch drivers every summer storm season.
Steps
- Turn on your headlights, and your wipers at a speed that keeps the glass clear.
- Slow down well below the limit and double your following distance.
- Turn off cruise control so you control the speed.
- Drive in the tracks of the car ahead, where there is less standing water.
- If the steering suddenly feels light, ease off the gas and hold the wheel straight until the tires grip.
- Never drive into water over the road; turn around and find another way.
- If you cannot see, pull well off the road, away from traffic, and put on your hazard lights.
Stop and call a professional if
- water is rising around the car: get out and to higher ground if you safely can, and call 911
- the brakes feel weak after driving through water, or a warning light stays on: have a mechanic check the car
Common mistakes
- Braking hard when the car hydroplanes.
- Guessing that water over the road is shallow.
- Stopping in a travel lane with hazards on because it is hard to see.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to drive safely in heavy rain
What to say
In heavy rain, turn your headlights on, slow down well below the limit, and double the gap to the car ahead. Skip cruise control. If the car hydroplanes and the steering goes light, ease off the gas and keep the wheel straight until you feel grip; do not brake hard. Never drive into water over the road. If you cannot see, pull well off the road and wait.
What to show
- Turn on your headlights, and your wipers at a speed that keeps the glass clear.
- Slow down well below the limit and double your following distance.
- Turn off cruise control so you control the speed.
- Drive in the tracks of the car ahead, where there is less standing water.
- If the steering suddenly feels light, ease off the gas and hold the wheel straight until the tires grip.
- Never drive into water over the road; turn around and find another way.
- If you cannot see, pull well off the road, away from traffic, and put on your hazard lights.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if water is rising around the car: get out and to higher ground if you safely can, and call 911.
Check question
The steering goes light on a wet highway. What do you do?
Answer: Ease off the gas and keep the wheel straight. The tires regain grip as speed drops.
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
- US national highway traffic safety guidance for drivers, 2026. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
- US national weather safety guidance on floods, 2025. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .