Don't Let Spring Weather Melt Away Your Safe Driving Habits
State Farm® Offers Timely Tips to Keep Your Family Safe
Newark, OH, March 28, 2011 - The snow and ice of winter may be gone, but it's important drivers stay street smart this spring. April showers bring May flowers and dangerous driving conditions. In fact, wet roads can be just as slippery as the ice-covered roads of winter. Compounding matters, rainy weather can affect driver visibility. As drivers hit the road this spring, here are a few tips from State Farm Insurance® to help ensure a safe arrival:
- Do not use cruise control during heavy rains or hail. Cruise control in these low traction conditions could lead to hydroplaning or loss of vehicle control. Using cruise also allows you to move your feet away from the pedals - moving them back as well as disengaging the cruise control may take crucial seconds that you don't have in an emergency situation.
- Replace worn tires. Your tires are what keep the car on the road. Worn out treads provide less traction. Also, make sure tires are inflated properly according to your vehicle's owner's manual.
- Replace worn wiper blades. Poorly maintained windshield wipers can hamper visibility in poor weather.
- Clean windows. After a long winter of salt and other road residue on the windows, wiper effectiveness & visibility can be greatly enhanced by cleaning the glass to remove residue. Cleaning the inside of the glass can also increase visibility & help the defroster clear the windows faster by reducing moisture buildup.
- Check all lighting. Rain itself can also impact visibility so check all vehicle lighting including headlights, taillights, back-up lights, turn signals, parking lights and brake lights. These lights are important not only because they help you to see, but also help other motorists to see you in times of limited visibility.
About State Farm®
State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. Our 17,800 agents and more than 66,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.
