Spray from other vehicles can make a wet motorway difficult to read. Your response should combine visibility, space and speed: use dipped headlights when visibility is poor, leave a larger following gap and reduce speed to suit the conditions.
Help other drivers see you
Dipped headlights help make your vehicle visible through rain and spray. Do not assume daytime running lights illuminate the rear of your car. Check the lighting controls and use the appropriate lights for the conditions.
Increase the following gap
Highway Code Rule 227 says stopping distances in wet weather will be at least double those required on dry roads. Increase your distance from the vehicle ahead. If a two-second gap is your dry-road baseline, double it to at least four seconds in the wet, and leave more room when conditions require it.
A larger gap also gives you a better chance of seeing beyond the spray and responding smoothly. Never reduce the gap just to keep pace with another vehicle.
Reduce speed and avoid sudden inputs
Drive at a speed that lets you respond to the view and grip available. Standing water can reduce tyre contact with the road. Avoid harsh braking or abrupt steering and make changes smoothly. A speed limit is a maximum, not a target in poor weather.
Fog lights have a separate threshold
Headlights are required when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres. Fog lights may be used in those conditions, but must be switched off when visibility improves because they can dazzle other drivers.
Quick revision check
What should you do when spray causes poor visibility? Use dipped headlights, increase your separation distance and reduce speed. Lights alone do not compensate for an unsafe gap.
Watch the narrated revision Short
Official guidance: The Highway Code. Checked 14 October 2026.
Independent revision. Original AI-created educational photo; continuous synthetic UK-English narration.
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