The volume of traffic and the time of day can influence the likelihood of a collision. The weather also has a major impact on motorist safety. When people think about weather-related crashes, they often think of inclement winter weather. Snow, ice and sleet all contribute to the likelihood of someone losing control of their vehicle and causing a crash.
However, a look at overall crash statistics makes it clear that winter weather isn’t the main source of collision risk related to weather conditions. Instead, seemingly benign rainstorms are the leading cause of weather-related collisions.
What makes rain so dangerous?
Perhaps the biggest issue that rain storms cause on the road is a loss of fraction. Wet pavement increases stopping distance and affects how easily people can maneuver their vehicles. Approximately 75% of all crashes caused by weather occur on wet pavement.
Only 47% involve active rainfall. That means that while almost half of all weather-related crashes happen during rainfall, another quarter happen while the roads are simply wet after precipitation. Still, rain is responsible for more crashes than snow each year.
The rain itself can be a hazard, as torrential downpours can affect visibility. Drivers may have a hard time noticing other vehicles as they approach and may fail to watch for pedestrians, motorcycles and bicycles in rain storms.
How do drivers stay safe in the rain?
There are several tactics that can increase overall safety when on the road in the rain. Ideally, it is safest to wait until the storm passes or at least until torrential rainfall stops if possible.
If people have to drive when the road is wet or there is active rainfall, then they generally need to slow down. They may also want to increase their following distance and start slowing down farther back than they usually would when approaching an intersection.
Small actions can go a long way toward helping someone reduce their risk of a motor vehicle collision. Learning more about what puts people at risk can help keep people safe, or identify when someone else is likely to blame for a wreck if one does occur.