April was the second wettest on record in the northeast. May isn't looking much better and the rest of the summer looks to be muggy and wet too. Rain can make driving difficult and dangerous so it is extremely important that your vehicle be in a decent shape to drive through it safely.

Here are 5 ways to prepare for your car for wet weather.

1. Check your tires. Make sure your tread depth is greater than 2/32 of an inch. You'll also want to make sure your tires are also inflated properly. Under inflated tires can greatly reduce your traction on wet roads. 

2. Make sure all of your lights and signals are working properly. Other motorists must be able to see you in the darker rainy weather. You should also check that the light glass is clear. If not, you can always purchase a lens cleaning kit for headlights. Check the laws in your state because some require drivers to have their headlights on if the windshield wipers are going.

3. One of the more important things to do when preparing for travel in wet weather is to make sure your wipers are in proper working order. Turn them on and if they leave an excessive amount of streaks or skips large areas, it's definitely time to change them. Make sure your washer reservoir is full too because you'll need to wash away accumulated dirt and oil. 

4. Check your brakes or have a professional check them. If it take you an unusually long time to stop or the brakes are making strange noises, it is time to change them. Having faulty brakes is very dangerous in wet weather.

5. Make sure your defroster in is good working order. Cold rainy weather can cause the windshield to fog up easily. You'll want to make sure your defroster can do its job in a hurry. One of the most common reasons for a defroster to not work is that the fuse has blown. 

One of the simplest and most important things you can do when driving in the rain is to slow down. Keep a distance of 2 vehicles between you and the car in front of you. This ensures plenty of time to stop in an emergency.