188 DRIVING AND OPERATINGto a lower gear. Any suddenchanges could cause the tyres toslide.Remember: Antilock brakes help avoidonly the braking skid.Driving on Wet RoadsRain and wet roads can reduce vehicletraction and affect your ability to stopand accelerate. Always drive slower inthese types of driving conditions andavoid driving through large puddlesand deep-standing or flowing water.{ WarningWet brakes can cause crashes. Theymight not work as well in a quickstop and could cause pulling to oneside. You could lose control of thevehicle.After driving through a large puddleof water or a car/vehicle wash,lightly apply the brake pedal untilthe brakes work normally.(Continued)Warning (Continued)Flowing or rushing water createsstrong forces. Driving throughflowing water could cause thevehicle to be carried away. If thishappens, you and other vehicleoccupants could drown. Do notignore police warnings and be verycautious about trying to drivethrough flowing water.AquaplaningAquaplaning is dangerous. Water canbuild up under the vehicle's tyres sothey actually ride on the water. Thiscan happen if the road is wet enoughand you are going fast enough. Whenthe vehicle is aquaplaning, it has littleor no contact with the road.There is no hard and fast rule aboutaquaplaning. The best advice is toslow down when the road is wet.Other Rainy Weather TipsBesides slowing down, other wetweather driving tips include:. Allow extra following distance.. Overtake with caution.. Keep windscreen wipingequipment in good condition.. Keep the windscreen washer fluidreservoir filled.. Have good tyres with proper treaddepth. See Tyres 0 273.. Turn off cruise control.Hill and Mountain RoadsDriving on steep hills or throughmountains is different than driving onflat or rolling terrain. Tips include:. Keep the vehicle serviced and ingood shape.. Check all fluid levels and brakes,tyres, cooling system, andtransmission.. Shift to a lower gear when goingdown steep or long hills.
