Corporate Blog

It has gotten to be that time of year where the weather can play a huge role in our travels. Storms have been hitting people all over the country, and even here in Southern California, we have been dealing with heavy rain (may not sound like much, but morning showers are practically a reason to close schools down here). Obviously, when the weather is bad, we have to be careful when driving. Visibility can often be horrible, and if we don’t know where we are going, getting behind the wheel can be dangerous.

Like many things in life though, the problem of traveling in bad weather is something that navigation can help with. With that said, for all the travelers out there that are trying to brave though the weather this time of year, we want to present our 5 tips for using navigation in bad weather.

1. Know when your turn is coming up. This is a fairly basic tip, but one that cannot really be overstated. A lot of the accidents that occur in bad weather come from when people can’t see where they are going and have to make quick turns to overcompensate. When using navigation, keep an eye out for when your turn is coming up and make sure nothing catches you off guard.

2. Detour around particularly bad areas. Have you ever been in horrible weather, only to drive across town and see nothing but blue skies? We can’t really explain why this happens (and why we always seem to be in the bad weather areas when it does), but we do know that sometimes a detour can get you out of the bad weather. If you find yourself approaching what looks to be a bad storm, try using your detour feature, and see if you can avoid it.

3. Check the traffic—anticipate the bad weather. There are times when we may see the weather outside is not great, but we can never be totally sure how it is behind the wheel. When this happens, try checking the traffic on your navigation device. If you see congestion on the roads, chances are driving conditions are difficult, and if at all possible, you should try and avoid going out.

4. Locate your closest chain/windshield wiper store. When you find yourself stuck driving in bad weather, the search functionality on your navigation device can get you out of trouble. If you don’t have chains for your car, or if you have an old ineffective pair of windshield wipers, search for the nearest auto shop and you can be out of trouble in no time.

5. Know when to call it a day and find someplace warm. Sometimes, the weather is so bad that there really is nothing we can do. Luckily, there is now practically a Starbucks on every block, and travelers can use their navigation devices to find the closest one to them. It may not be perfect, but a warm cup of coffee can often be just the thing to help us get through bad weather.