Summer in the Northeast means beach trips, road trips, and more time spent outdoors. Summer also brings sudden, severe storms that can make driving dangerous. Heavy rain, strong winds, and reduced visibility can quickly turn a routine drive into a risky situation.

Check out some practical tips to help you stay safe and confident behind the wheel when summer storms roll in.

How to stay safe driving in a summer storm

To ensure safety while driving through a summer storm be sure to take your time while driving, avoid standing water, share the road with other drivers and be on the look out for any debris.

Take your time

Visibility is often very poor during torrential rains, and keeping the wheel straight can be challenging. If caught in a heavy downpour, it’s best to slow down to a safe speed and leave extra space between you and other vehicles as a buffer. Make sure to turn on your lights so that other cars can see you, and if visibility is too low, pull over to a safe spot and wait out the storm.

Avoid standing water

Traveling through puddles at high speeds can cause hydroplaning, so be sure to safely steer clear of standing water. If avoiding a pool of water is impossible, slow down to a safe speed. If you do find yourself hydroplaning, don’t panic! Ease off the gas pedal and keep the wheel as straight as possible. If you are on a multi-lane road and you spot a puddle, safely move to the inside lane to avoid water build up.

Share the road

When driving conditions are less than ideal, smaller cars are less affected by wind and heavy rains than larger vehicles such as tractor trailers. Wind and rain can cause bigger vehicles to drift into other lanes unexpectedly, which can be a danger for passenger cars on the road. Avoid driving next to larger vehicles and remember to leave extra space between your car and other vehicles.

Look out for debris

Strong winds frequently scatter debris onto the road, so stay alert while driving. Sometimes it can be hard to see debris on the road because of rain, darkness or other hindrances like water accumulation. A quick reaction to fallen debris can be difficult as roads can become slick during storms and rapid braking becomes harder. If you see fallen debris in the road, be sure to alert local authorities so they can remove it to minimize danger for other drivers.