We don't get much rain in Southern California, and that's exactly why the first storm of the season feels like a different city. The route is the same one you drive every day, but the visibility, the traffic and the grip under your tires can change in minutes. A different road calls for a different plan.
Whether you're leaving Buena Park for work or heading across Los Angeles, these five habits belong on your rainy-day checklist. Start before you pull out of the driveway, while you still have time to fix a problem or change your plans.
1. Decide whether the trip can wait
Check the forecast and local road conditions before you leave. If your errand can wait until the storm passes, move it. If you have to go, leave extra time and pick a route you can change if you run into a closure.
Tell the person expecting you that you might be late. That one text, sent before you start driving, takes away the pressure to make up time on the road. Have your destination and a backup route ready, so you aren't making last-minute decisions at an unfamiliar intersection.
2. Check the equipment you'll actually use
Test your wipers, headlights and defroster before the next storm, not during it. If a wiper blade leaves streaks, replace it now instead of waiting until it blocks your view on the freeway. Learn where the defroster and rear-window controls are while the car is parked.
Look at your tires, too. Worn tread and low pressure make it easier to lose grip on wet pavement. Use the pressure listed on the label inside the driver's door or in the owner's manual, and check it when the tires are cold. The California DMV lists good tread and proper inflation among the ways to avoid hydroplaning. If a warning light comes on or you see tire damage, take care of it before the trip.
Quick tip from the original 2018 post that still holds up: if your windows fog up, use the defroster, and if that's not enough, crack a window slightly. The DMV handbook gives the same advice.
3. See and be seen
In California, if rain makes you use your windshield wipers, you must turn on your low-beam headlights. Driving with only your parking lights is illegal. Low beams are better than high beams in rain, because high beams reflect back and cause glare.
Set your navigation before you start moving and put the phone away. A passenger can handle messages. If you're driving alone, the reply can wait until you're safely parked. California law already limits phone use behind the wheel, and in the rain you need every bit of your attention on the road.
4. Slow down and leave more room
California's Basic Speed Law says you may never drive faster than is safe for conditions, and wet pavement is one of those conditions, no matter what the speed limit sign says. Slow down at the first sign of rain and increase your following distance. If heavy rain cuts your visibility to 100 feet or less, the DMV says it isn't safe to drive faster than 30 mph.
Watch out for hydroplaning, when your tires ride on a layer of water and lose contact with the road. To avoid it, drive slowly, steer around standing water when you can, and slow down if you hear your tires sloshing. If you start to hydroplane, ease off the gas and slow down gradually. Don't slam the brakes, because sudden braking can make you lose control.
Give yourself room to react without rushing. If someone behind you is impatient, let them pass. There's no prize for reaching the next red light first.
5. Turn around at floodwater
Never drive into a flooded street or around a road-closed barricade. You can't tell how deep the water is or whether the road underneath has washed out, and it takes surprisingly little moving water to sweep a car away. The National Weather Service puts it simply: Turn Around, Don't Drown. Find another route.
Questions about what your policy covers in a storm? Text us 24/7 at (714) 736-9048 or get a free quote.
Review your insurance before you need it
Rain is when a lot of people find out what their policy really includes. A few things worth knowing ahead of time:
- Liability pays for damage you cause to other people and their property, up to your limits. It doesn't fix your own car. See what liability car insurance covers.
- Collision generally covers damage to your car when it hits another vehicle or an object, like sliding into a guardrail after hydroplaning, minus your deductible.
- Comprehensive generally covers damage from things other than a collision. The California Department of Insurance lists flood, windstorm and falling objects as examples, subject to your policy's terms and deductible.
- Uninsured motorist coverage can help when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough. Read more about uninsured motorist coverage in California.
Not sure which of these you have? Our guide to California car insurance terms explains what the words on your declarations page usually mean.
If you're in an accident
Stop, check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt. If it's safe, move out of traffic, exchange information with the other driver, and take photos of the scene and the damage. Then notify your insurance company promptly.
Remember the DMV's SR-1 rule: you, or your insurance agent, broker or legal representative, must report the accident to the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured (even slightly) or killed, or if property damage is over $1,000. That's in addition to any police or insurance report. Our step-by-step guide covers what to do after a car accident in California.
Keep proof of insurance in the car at all times. California law requires it, and you'll need it after a collision. See California auto insurance requirements.
Talk with Street Smart
Need help understanding your policy before the next storm? Text Street Smart at (714) 736-9048. Text support is available 24/7 in English and Spanish. Ask about your actual coverages, limits and deductibles before assuming every kind of damage is included. You can also get your California auto insurance quote.
Stay safe out there, Southern California.
Official sources
- California DMV: Driver's Handbook, Safe Driving (rain, hydroplaning, low visibility)
- California DMV: Driver's Handbook, Signals, Horns and Headlights
- California DMV: Driver's Handbook, Basic Speed Law and cell phones
- California DMV: Teen Driver Tips (tires and hydroplaning)
- California DMV: Report of Traffic Accident (SR-1)
- National Weather Service: Turn Around, Don't Drown
- California Department of Insurance: Automobile Insurance Guide
Educational information: This article is general safety and insurance information for California drivers, not legal advice or a coverage decision. Whether a loss is covered depends on your policy's terms, limits, deductibles and exclusions, and on the facts of the loss.
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