El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-When rain is in the forecast, most of us grab an umbrella or a raincoat. TxDOT El Paso wants to remind you that it’s just as important to get your car ready for wet weather and make sure you\u2019re prepared for the drive.<\/p>\n
Lauren Macias-Cervantes, the spokesperson for TxDOT El Paso, says, “If severe weather is expected, stay informed.” Check reliable weather sources like the ABC-7 StormTrack Weather team, look at live cameras on txdot.gov, and visit drivetexas.org or call 800-452-9292 for the latest road conditions. If possible, think about delaying your trip or staying home.<\/p>\n
If you need to travel, check your car\u2019s battery, tires, and windshield wipers. Make sure your gas tank is full in case you run into delays. It\u2019s also a good idea to keep an emergency kit in your car.<\/p>\n
Always wear your seatbelt and drive more slowly, allowing extra time for your trip. Leave more space between you and the car ahead, and turn on your headlights to stay safe. Cervantes-Macias said.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t use cruise control. If you hit standing water or slippery spots, cruise control can make it harder to keep control of your car.<\/p>\n
If your car starts to hydroplane, gently lift your foot off the gas or brakes. Stay calm and let the car slow down until you regain control.<\/p>\n
Rushing water is more powerful than it looks. Just six inches of fast-moving water can make you lose control of your car.<\/p>\n
Floodwater can hide dangers you can\u2019t see, such as debris, tree branches, power lines, or damaged roads.<\/p>\n
Take a different route if you see still or moving floodwater. Never try to drive through it.<\/p>\n
Be especially careful when driving at night, since it\u2019s harder to spot flood hazards in the dark.<\/p>\n
Watch for emergency vehicles on the road.<\/p>\n
Also, look out for stranded vehicles, especially on multi-lane roads where the outer lanes might be flooded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-When rain is in the forecast, most of us grab an umbrella or a raincoat.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":63012,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[138,140,139],"class_list":["post-324553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324553\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}