Hays and the surrounding area have received a little bit of rainfall, and The Ellis County Sheriff’s Department would like to take the opportunity to remind all drivers to be careful when driving during any sort of moisture accumulation.  Ellis County Sheriff Ed Harbin said that it’s important to remember that it doesn’t take a lot of water to cause adverse driving conditions.

“You need to watch out for hydroplaning.  When it rains, after so much rain it will build up on the roads.  Your tires have a play in it too, once you get so much water if your tires aren’t moving the water away or if you’re going too fast, you’re going to hydroplane.”

He added that county roads are also a hazard.  While hydroplaning isn’t the danger, it’s easy for a muddy county road to “suck a person into the ditch” once a driver loses control, especially if high speeds are a factor.

Harbin said the most important thing people need to remember is to use caution.