Slow down, turn on your lights and allow more space among cars are obvious things to do when it rains.
But also consider that on dry roads, with new tires, you only have tread about the size of your palm on the road for each tire. That area of traction gets dramatically smaller with the amount of rain on the road and the speed you are traveling.
At 50 mph, a new tire, on a wet road can have its traction area reduced by more than 40 percent. At higher speeds, your tires might only have about 10 percent of normal traction.
The better the tread, the better the traction, but at high speeds any tire might build up water underneath and begin to hydroplane.
All you need is one-twelfth of an inch of rain on the road and a speed of more than 45 mph to start to hydroplane. If your car hydroplanes, do not slam on the brakes but slow down and steer straight. If your car begins sliding out of control to the right you need to steer to the left.
Statistics show that the number of accidents in wet weather increase dramatically. In 2016, the California Highway Patrol recorded 201 crashes on Los Angeles County freeways during a two-day storm. It was a 570 percent increase in crash reports as the same stretch of freeways usually averages about 30 crashes.
Consider driving in the middle lanes because more water sometimes accumulates along the outside lanes and shoulders during heavy rainfalls.
Sources: California Highway Patrol, AAA, Driving-test.org
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