First of all when driving in heavy rainstorm type conditions you can bet and count on that your windows will “fog up” in no time at all and leave you “running blind”. You will have few cues as to conditions on the road and the placement of other vehicles in your path and on the roadway. What to do. First of all many people pull off the road entirely. Yet in many situations – as on freeways this may not be possible, practical and downright illegal according to the police and your local state traffic laws.

First in terms of simple prevention as well as regular, ongoing auto care and maintenance take the time and effort to clean the inside of your front windshield or windscreen every few months with a commercial glass cleaner and a standard newspaper. It is a known and accepted fact in auto safety and automotive safe training classes that a clean windshield will not fog in conditions of high humidity and rain anywhere near as bad or as easily as a residue laid, dirty non-cleaned glass windshield.

Second make it a practice to vehicles’ wiper blades on a regular and ongoing basis before they begin to show wear. Some auto owners replace the rubber blades themselves every year, some every two years. The key point is regular, planned maintenance – not when the blades begin to show wear – either by wiping the window only partially, or when the blade begins to streak across your window and you become concerned that the rubber on the blades is exposing metal surfaces which may well scratch your exterior window surface. The key is that by regular maintenance and a preventative tack you will not be in an emergency situation where your wiper blades only clear part of your view during periods of emergencies and heavy rains. As well it is a good idea to inspect the wiper mechanism arm assembly from time to time for slackness and / or other reasons for replacement.

Lastly if you do drive inadvertently through deep puddles in the rain, you run the risk of losing your brakes or reduced braking ability due to the effects of moisture and water itself on the brake linings and friction braking surfaces. To dry these out, in such an emergency setting, auto safety and training experts recommend driving for a block or two stretches with one foot on the gas and other foot applying gentle pressure on the brakes. Safe driving in most cases is all about planning, preparation and ongoing automobile maintenance.