“A lot of the injury and fatality collisions have been a matter of people not driving safely for roadway conditions,” Griffith said. If your outing is nonessential, it might be safer to wait the rain out, or at least until it lets up a bit. Since rain brings an increase in humidity, your windshield can fog up and make it difficult to see. Visibility is compromised when it’s raining – headlights can improve this. Since these are essential to drive safely in the rain, check their condition and replace them if needed. During the summer, people’s wipers can get brittle, making it difficult for them to work properly when it’s pouring.
If the top of Abraham Lincoln’s head is visible, your tread is too shallow. Griffith noted that a good way to see if your tires are in good shape is by holding a penny upside down into the tread. Front tires should be more than an 8th of an inch in depth, with the rear more than a 16th of an inch in depth. It’s important to check your tire tread prior driving at any point, but especially when it’s raining. Speaking of hydroplaning – Griffith advises residents to avoid “driving in packs.” Give yourself time to react in case of a sudden stop to prevent hydroplaning and/or a collision. If it’s pouring rain, with puddles along the highway, drive at the speed that is safe for roadway conditions to prevent hydroplaning. Even if you’re following the speed limit on a highway, you should take weather conditions into consideration. He listed some of the ways residents could drive safely this winter: However, Griffith noted that during the rains earlier this month, “the spike was even more significant.” There have historically been spikes of collisions during the rain, particularly during the first rains of the year.
These crashes ranged from non-injury to one fatal crash.Īccording to Michael Griffith, a CHP officer in Buellton, there has been an increase in collisions during the past few months on the Central Coast. As winter approaches, and with it the increased chance of rainy weather, California High Patrol (CHP) is offering Santa Barbara County residents a few tips for driving safely on wet roads this holiday season.ĭuring the last two days of rain this past November 7 and 8, the CHP responded to 21 traffic crashes on the Nojoqui Grade between Buellton and Gaviota - a significant increase from the previous two, rainless days, during which the CHP responded to no collisions.
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