Orange County Car Accident News
Orange, CA
Dr. Barry Marks, Chiropractor, Car Accident Injury Expert
A winter storm rages through Orange County Sunday night – Monday morning drenching freeways and wreaking havoc for motorists. Drive time delays were lengthy Monday morning and evening due to car accidents on the 57 and 5 freeways.
Orange County Car Accidents: The morning drive from the Inland Empire to The OC on the 57 South was snarled due to car accidents. The night drive home heading from central OC to South County on the 5 was slowed by accidents in both south and north bound lanes.
Southern California doesn’t get much rain on an annual basis. When it does rain however, it pours! And when it pours the freeways flood and become treacherous. California drivers do not get a lot of practice so when it rains chaos ensues.
Tips For Safer Driving in the Rain
Leave earlier than usual for work or school
There will be slower going so you need to compensate for delays so you aren’t tempted to drive too quickly in dangerous conditions.
Drive slower
The faster you drive the harder it is to slow down. In the wet, your car loses ability to get traction and slow down so you need to keep speeds much lower.
Leave extra space between the car ahead
As above, slowing in the rain is difficult. Stopping distances are increased. To avoid sliding into the car ahead, make sure you have plenty of room.
Stay out of far left and right lanes
The far lanes are the lowest lying lanes due to slight crown in the road. This allows water to pool in these lanes. Standing water, even only a small amount, can cause your car to aquaplane (hydroplane) and lose control. Driving in the center lanes is therefore safer.
Accelerate smoothly and evenly
When you take off at lights or accelerate to pass, do it smoothly and evenly to not break traction and cause your car to lose control. If you take off too quickly in the wet you can easily lose control and veer into other lanes.
Apply brakes early and gently
When it’s time to slow down, apply brakes earlier than usual because you need more stopping distance on wet roads. Also apply your brakes gently because locking up the wheels is easier when it’s slippery.
Be careful driving over painted lines in the road
The lines for crosswalks, railroad crossing, stop signs, etc. are much more slick than the asphalt. In dry conditions it’s not a problem, but when it rains, these lines become dangerously slick. Stopping or starting or turning across them can cause a sudden loss of traction. A brief loss of control can cause you to over correct and crash.