(Santa Cruz) RAIN IS COMING AGAIN! While it may be a blessing for The State as a whole, the 
rain slicked roadway, flooding, and limited visibility can be a curse to many motorists. The California Highway Patrol is preparing motorists by offering safe driving tips. To help drivers negotiate slick conditions while traveling through rain or snow, the CHP offers the following safety tips:
- Many collisions are the result unsafe speed, so the first and foremost tip is SLOW DOWN. It is a simple matter of physics that your vehicle cannot stop as fast or turn as accurately on wet or icy pavement.
- Prepare for potential inclement weather by leaving early, allowing plenty of time to get where you are going. Make sure your gas tank is full. Always leave ample distance between your vehicle and the one ahead.
- Check to see that the windshield wipers are in good condition. Also, be sure the vehicle’s headlights are on anytime you have your windshield wipers on continuously, it is the law.
- Stay alert for potential hydroplaning, apply brakes slowly, be sure headlights are on, and maintain proper following distance.
- If you’re driving in fog keep headlights on low beam, don’t stop on the roadway (except in emergency), move away from a stalled or disabled vehicle, watch for CHP pace vehicles which may be guiding traffic through fog, consider turning off the road and waiting until the fog eases.
The CHP urges you to check road conditions often. The best way to do this is to call the California 
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Road Conditions Hotline 1-800-427-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).
In addition to overcoming weather-related obstacles, remember to buckle up, slow down and never drink and drive.
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