Wet Weather Driving: Facts & Figures

WET WEATHER DRIVING FACTS & FIGURES There are approximately 5,760,000 motor vehicle crashes every year in the United States. 22% of these crashes are weather related 16% of fatal crashes 19% of injury crashes 23% of property damage crashes occur in the presence of adverse weather conditions or wet roads THE MAJORITY OF WEATHER-RELATED CRASHES OCCUR ON WET PAVEMENT OR DURING RAINFALL 73% on wet pavement 46% during rainfall A WET ROAD IS A DANGEROUS ROAD With as little as 1/12 an inch of water on the road, tires have to displace one gallon of water per second to maintain contact with the asphalt. Tires can lose contact with the roadway at 9) speeds as low as 35 mph, resulting in a hydroplane. Roads are most dangerous early on in a rainstorm, especially after a dry spell. o After a dry period, oil and grease from car engines build up on roads. o As rain begins to fall, it mixes with the oil and grease to form an ultra-slick surface. WHY ARE PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING IN WET WEATHER THAN DRIVING IN SNOW OR ICY CONDITIONS? Statistically, Drivers are less likely to adjust their speed while driving in the rain. many more people drive in rainy conditions than snowy/icy ones. Rain reduces road visibility. Drivers fail to adjust for reduced traction on wet roads. HOW TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS ON WET ROADS REDUCE SPEED o Traction declines by about 1/3 in wet weather, so a good rule of thumb is to reduce speed by a third. o Drive in the tracks of the car in front of you for better traction. INCREASE BRAKING DISTANCE o Stay 5 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. If driving at night, increase distance to 6 seconds. o Leave even more distance behind larger vehicles such as trucks or buses. o Avoid harad braking, as this can result in a skid. STAY ALERT o Avoid a situation that requires sudden braking or swerving by paying attention to road conditions, surrounding traffic and signs. o Watch for moving water and deep puddles, and don't drive through anything if you can't see the ground below. SOURCES: http://www.robertdebry.com http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/q1_roadimpact.htm http://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/tips-and-tech- niques-for-driving-in-rain.html http://exchange.aaa.com/safety/roadway-safety/wet-weath- er-driving-tips/#.VucJGRIrJsM http://www.buyautoinsurance.com/ultimate-bad-weather-driving/ http://www.drive-safely.net/driving-tips/ http://www.freepik.com Robert J. DeBry ASSOCI ATES