Something most new drivers usually don’t think about until they encounter it is how to drive safely in bad weather conditions. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Road Weather Management Program, approximately 29 percent of all accidents are during bad weather. This may not sound like a lot but on average, there’s over 5,891,000 crashes a year. Here are some tips to stay safe while on the road during bad weather:

• Slow down: Going too fast in rainy or snowy conditions is extremely dangerous, and you risk hydroplaning, which is losing control of your vehicle on the wet surface of the road.

• Turn off cruise control: According to State Farm, turning on your cruise control can actually be counterproductive if you hydroplane, it can actually make you go faster and lose control.

• Make sure your headlights are on: This is actually part of many state laws to have your headlights on in low visibility areas, or even if just your windshield wipers are in use and California is one of those states.

• Keep a greater distance between you and the car in front of you than you usually would: This way, if either of you lose control, it’s less likely that you both will be part of an accident.

• If you can’t see clearly, pull over: This may seem like common sense, but sometimes in humid conditions the windshields get fogged up because of the ventilation system in your car. This added with the rain makes it very difficult to see and you really should just pull over instead of soldiering on.

    In the end, the most important thing is to just keep calm, and think. Stick to your instincts, play it safe and follow the rules of the road.