Purdue Study: Wet Roads are More Dangerous than They Seem

Civil engineer professor Fred Mannering at Purdue University recently studied one-car accidents in Indiana that took place on dry pavement, wet conditions, and snowy or icy roadways over a two-year period. To his surprise he found that women of all ages were more likely to experience a serious car accident and severe injury in rainy conditions than in either fair weather or in snowy conditions.

Why would this be? Mannering believes that it is likely that while female drivers understand to drive cautiously on snow and ice, they may underestimate the danger of rainy and wet roads.

How can you help reduce your chances of an Indiana car accident during a rainstorm or while driving on wet roads? Here are twelve wet road safety tips for all drivers:

1. Slow down.
2. Don’t make sudden movements with your steering wheel.
3. Don’t brake suddenly – it can cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
4. Turn on your headlights – both to increase your visibility and to make your vehicle more visible.
5. Don’t be afraid to pull into a parking lot in heavy rain and wait for the storm to subside.
6. Realize that pedestrians and wildlife are much more difficult to see in rainy conditions.
7. Put even more room between you and the vehicle in front of you, as all cars and trucks take longer to stop in wet conditions.
8. Never drive through moving water or deep puddles.
9. Make sure you keep your windshield wipers in working order at all times.
10. Make sure that your tire treads are not overly worn.
11. Realize that driving in rainy or wet conditions can cause driver fatigue more quickly than driving in fair weather.
12. If it is raining hard before you leave the house, consider delaying your trip until the roads are safer.

Have you been harmed in an Indiana car accident that involved rainy conditions or a driver who was driving too fast on wet roads? Speak with an Indianapolis personal injury attorney about your case today by calling Keller & Keller LLP and scheduling a free, private meeting.




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