Driving During Hurricane Season
Are you prepared for an evacuation?
Learn what to do to keep you and your family safe.
Heavy rain and flash flooding can create dangerous driving conditions that increase the risks of crashes and drownings. If you must drive in such conditions, these tips can help lower your risks on a wet road:
- Slow down and allow more time to reach your destination.
- Stay alert and be ready for sudden stops or changes in road conditions.
- Allow at least twice the normal following distance between vehicles.
- Signal for turns and brake earlier than usual.
- Turn on your headlights, as required by North Carolina law, when using the windshield wipers
- Turn on your low-beam headlights and use the defroster to increase visibility.
If your vehicle begins to hydroplane – when your tires glide across the surface of the water on a road – take your foot off the gas and apply the brakes in a steady, slightly firm manner (don't stomp on them). Then steer in the direction of the skid.
Flash Flood Safety Tips
- Move to higher ground when a Flash Flood Warning is issued.
- Don’t walk or drive through moving water or flooded roadways.
- Never go around or move a barricade. That is against the law and can be deadly.