What should you do to avoid standing water while driving?

Increasing your following distance is essential to avoid standing water while driving for a couple of reasons. When you maintain a greater distance from the vehicle ahead, you create more space to react to unexpected situations. This distance allows you to slow down gradually and steer around the water safely without risk of losing control.

Standing water can present significant hazards, such as hydroplaning, where your tires lose traction and float on top of the water rather than making contact with the road. By having more space, you can better anticipate and respond to changes in traffic or road conditions, which is crucial for your safety.

The other options suggest less safe alternatives. Accelerating through water can lead to losing control of the vehicle and increases the risk of hydroplaning. Braking suddenly can also destabilize your vehicle and cause skidding, especially on wet surfaces. Ignoring standing water is unsafe since it can lead to dangerous driving situations. Overall, increasing your following distance is the most prudent strategy to navigate around standing water effectively.