With winter approaching and rain pummeling a majority of the United States, driving in terrible road conditions will become a fact of life. Here are some ways to minimize the risk of rainy driving.

1. If you see water flowing across the road and do not know how deep it is, do not try and drive across it.

This tiny little stream of water could actually be as dangerous as the Atlantic Ocean and your car will pay dearly for it. Just wait, go around, or call your mom and start crying about the ominous ocean filled with hammerhead sharks blocking the road.

2. Never follow speed limits.

Speed limits exist to tell you how fast you can drive safely in good conditions. When it is storming, you may not want to take that turn off of the freeway at your usual 40 mph.

3. Aim for driving in the center of the road.

Obvious, right? Roads are actually constructed so that they are the highest in the middle, causing the water to run off of the center and drain toward the edges. So drive straight guys.

4. Use your windshield wipers correctly.

It does not matter if you know the road so well that you could drive it blindfolded, you should keep your windshield wipers moving quickly enough so that a fish would not be able to make his home on your windshield.

5. Hydroplaning is death.

When you hydroplane, your car actually thinks it is a boat. Hydroplaning is when there is too much water for your tires to be able to slice through and keep in contact with the surface of the road. (This causes your car to have the inability to brake, steer, and generally control your car. Do not try and brake or accelerate, drive as straight as possible, and do not try to turn off. Do not fight it and just follow where the wheels are taking you.)