You are driving when it begins to rain. You should:
- Drive faster than surrounding traffic.
- Drive at the maximum posted speed limit.
- Slow down. ✓
- Drive closely behind the vehicle in front of you.
Answer: C. Slow down.
When it starts to rain, you should slow down.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says to slow down and leave more following distance when the road is wet. It explains that even a small amount of rain makes roads slippery, which makes the car harder to control. Slowing down helps you keep complete control of the situation. That is why slowing down is the right response once rain begins, rather than holding the maximum speed or crowding the car ahead.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Drive faster than surrounding traffic. — Driving faster than the traffic around you is the opposite of the handbook's advice to slow down on wet roads.
- B. Drive at the maximum posted speed limit. — Keeping the maximum posted speed ignores the handbook's instruction to adjust your speed when the road is wet.
- D. Drive closely behind the vehicle in front of you. — Following closely behind the vehicle ahead is wrong because the handbook says to increase the following distance on wet roads, not shrink it.
Remember it
Think of rain as a signal to back off the gas and drop back from the car ahead, not to keep pace.