How can you avoid an auto accident in the rain? There have been a lot of rainy days in Southern California recently. After months of little or no precipitation, we suddenly get a few rainy weeks in a row and suddenly no one seems to remember how to drive on wet surfaces.
After all, we don’t get regular practice driving on wet roads. Further, drains may be clogged with leaves and other debris from months of drought, so water puddles can quickly become deep. Even a little rain mixed with oil on the roads can create slick, dangerous surfaces.
We can’t control how other drivers react to the rain. However, we can take steps to help keep ourselves and our passengers and others safe and avoid an auto accident in the rain regardless of what Mother Nature and fellow motorists surprise us with.
Allow yourself extra time to get where you’re going so that you can drive more slowly. Be prepared to drive 5 to 10 miles per hour under the speed limit as local drivers tend to slow down in wet conditions. You can be ticketed for driving too fast for conditions, even if you’re under the speed limit.
Keep a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead of you. The “3 second rule” should be expanded to 5 seconds to allow extra time to slow or stop. It also will buy you a little time if that vehicle goes through a puddle and blinds you with a sudden splash of water.
Another way to avoid an auto accident in the rain is to avoid standing water whenever possible. It’s often difficult to tell just how deep it is. It may look like a puddle, but in reality be several inches or more. That’s another reason to keep your speed down and allow extra space. It makes things less dangerous if you have no choice but to drive through a substantial amount of water and find yourself hydroplaning.
Keep your headlights on, even if it’s partly sunny. Anything that makes you more visible to other drivers and pedestrians will help keep you safe. California law requires that if weather conditions make using your windshield wipers necessary, you must also have your headlights on.
No matter how safely we drive, it is not always possible to avoid an auto accident in the rain. If the other driver was reckless or negligent, regardless of the weather conditions, we will help you to hold them liable and obtain full and fair compensation for your injuries, as well as past, present and future medical expenses, lost wages and other damages.
We invite you to review the strong recommendations of former clients and the legal industry and contact us or call to speak with me personally for a free, private and confidential consultation at (949)305-1400.
