The Do’s and Don’ts of Driving in a Hail Storm in Ingleside

Ingleside is a city popular for its tropical climate, so it’s a place where you can look forward to abundant sunshine and bright blue skies. But, as you already know, hail can strike anywhere in the Lone Star State. And Ingleside is no exception. Over the past 12 months, the area has already received 14 severe weather warnings. That means, if you’re out and about, you need to be prepared for a hail storm.

No matter how experienced you may be, knowing what to do if you’re driving in a hail storm in Ingleside can be challenging. Besides creating hazardous driving conditions, these storms can damage your car. To help keep you and your car safe, here’s a list of practical Ingleside hail storm advice for drivers to keep in mind.

What to Do in a Hail Storm in Ingleside

If you’re on the road and a hail storm strikes, safety should be your top priority. It helps to stay up to date with hail storm warnings in Ingleside, Texas.

The following hailstorm safety tips can help keep you safe while driving in hail.

1. Slow Down

As soon as you notice hail, slow down. Hail drastically reduces visibility, making it harder to see the road, other vehicles, and potential hazards. Reducing your speed helps you maintain better traction, gives you more reaction time, and lowers the risk of skidding or getting into a collision.

But beyond driving safety in storms, speed also increases the force of impact. When you’re driving fast, your car essentially “meets” each hailstone with greater velocity, causing the hail to hit harder than it would on a slow-moving or stationary vehicle. This extra force can turn moderate hail damage into something more severe, such as warped panels, cracked paint, and shattered glass.

2. Pull Over

More than wondering about how to drive in hail, consider stopping altogether. It’s one of the best ways to protect your car since it instantly reduces the force of impact of hail on your car. When your vehicle is stationary, hail hits with only its natural falling speed. But when you’re moving — even slowly — you add extra force to every hailstone, increasing the chances of dents, cracked windshields, and paint damage. This type of damage can significantly devalue your car.

So, when you see hail, pull over to a safe spot, preferably under shelter. If that’s not available, simply stop your car on the shoulder of the road.

3. Seek Out Temporary Shelter

If hail starts falling, you need to know how to avoid hail damage while driving in South Texas. Ideally, you want to stop under a covered area that can shield your car from the direct impact of falling hailstones. A gas station canopy or parking garage is a safe place to pull over during hail in Ingleside, where you can wait out the storm without the stress of driving in low visibility or slippery conditions.

4. Turn on Your Hazard Lights

Hail often comes with heavy rain and dark skies, reducing visibility and making driving conditions quickly dangerous. It’s hard for others to see your vehicle, especially if you’ve slowed down or pulled over. Turning on hazard lights makes you more visible and alerts everyone around you to use extra caution, reducing the risk of another car accidentally hitting you.

5. Maintain a Safe Distance

Roads become slick during a hailstorm, so cars may brake and swerve unexpectedly. By keeping extra space between you and others on the road, you give yourself time to respond safely without skidding or hitting the vehicle in front of you. It also reduces the chances of a chain-reaction collision, which is more likely when drivers are packed too closely together in bad weather. So, more distance means more control – and more hail storm safety for everyone on the road.

6. Keep the Windshield Wipers On

During a hailstorm, it’s important to clear away the rain, slush, and small hail that accumulates on your windshield. This significantly improves visibility, allowing you to spot hazards sooner and drive safely in dangerous conditions. It’s a simple but sure way to stay aware and navigate in the storm as safely as possible.

Ingleside Hail Storm Don’ts While Driving

According to NHTSA, 12% of vehicle incidents between 2019 and 2023 were weather-related. Needless to say, hailstorm safety in Ingleside is an important concern. Here are several things that you should definitely avoid while driving in a storm to keep yourself safe.

1. Don’t Panic

Hailstorms happen, so the best way to deal with the situation is to stay calm. Look for a safe spot to stop until the storm passes. Avoid stopping in the middle of traffic lanes below bridges, as this creates a crash risk. Always make sure that your car is completely off the road and out of the way of other drivers.

2. Don’t Try to Outrun the Hailstorm

Driving in a hail storm in Ingleside can get risky. The slippery roads and poor visibility are a sure recipe for disaster. So the last thing you should do is accelerate. It increases the chances of losing control, hydroplaning, or colliding with other cars.

On top of that, it also causes the hailstones to strike your car harder. And that simply worsens the damage.

3. Don’t Drive Through Flooded Roads

It’s hard to tell what could be beneath standing water. You could end up hitting potholes, damaged roads, and debris that could trap or damage your vehicle. Moreover, a few inches of moving water can sweep your car off the path. What’s more, what looks like shallow water could actually be deep enough to flood your engine and leave you stranded.

4. Don’t Think You Can Battle Large Hailstones

Here’s one Ingleside hail storm advice for drivers – don’t be fooled by the size of little hailstones. They can quickly transform into big, ugly hail (as big as baseballs). And the bigger the hail, the more serious the damage to your vehicle. So take cover at the first sign of hail. You’ll thank me later.

5. Don’t Venture Outside

If these ice rocks can dent metal and break glass, they most likely can injure you, too. So it’s best to stay inside your vehicle during the storm. And while you’re waiting for the storm to pass, please keep your windows closed. Hail and rain can easily damage the interior.

6. Don’t Neglect To Check For Damage After the Storm

Once the storm has passed, check your vehicle for any hail damage. While this may not seem like an important Ingleside emergency driving tip for hailstorms, ignoring hail damage can lead to other issues.

Minor dents can sometimes be hard to notice at first glance, so make sure to check thoroughly. Damaged panels should be repaired as soon as possible to keep you safe and maintain the value of your car.

Over to You

Hailstorms in Ingleside are a common occurrence. With the above severe weather driving tips in mind, you and your car can both remain safe.

But often, even after you’ve made sure to follow all the tips on how to drive safely during a hail storm in Ingleside, your vehicle still gets hit by hail. And that means you need to get your car assessed by hail repair experts.

At Rapid Auto Hail Repair, we manage the entire repair process for you. From damage assessment and helping with insurance claims to repairing hail damage, our hail repair experts do it all. We take the stress out of auto hail repair so you can focus on the other important issues in your life. So, if your car has been damaged in a hailstorm, contact us and we’ll get it back on track as soon as possible