Driving in the Rain

Why does everyone act like Noah when it rains?

Noah built the ark, under the direction of God, even though he had never seen rain where he lived. Therefore, if Noah took a little time to be amazed and dumbfounded when he saw droplets from Heaven, he could be forgiven for his amazement and distraction.

The same forgiveness cannot be given to the average driver, for the average driver, driving in the most arid parts of our country, has seen rain dozens of times a year, if not hundreds of times in just the past 3 years. For those of you unfortunate to live in the Northwest area, you see more rain than sunshine. So, as for pulling a "Noah" when it rains -- America -- get a grip!

OK, so let's go ahead and admit that wet pavement, whether it be asphalt, concrete, or some other aggregate, offers less traction than similar dry pavement. Also, rainy conditions generally reduce overall visibility to some degree, albeit to a far less degree than the Noah's would want to admit. Generally speaking, driving in the rain calls for a tad more caution, slightly lower speeds (in certain conditions) and on-going precise driving habits.
So in review, what was not said is that driving in the rain calls for drastic measures, or is a sure way to get in an accident.

But why does driving in the rain cause drivers who are normally distracted, incompetent, and unprofessional to begin driving like a half dead drunk with a recent lobotomy? Good question!

Driving in the rain, either in day or night conditions, or even on damp roads, calls for nothing more than the following of these few simple rules:
1. Give more space: rain is a bad time to tailgate. Stopping distances (the emergency type) can be lengthened (not a good thing) by as much as 30% on wet pavement.
2. Account for less visibility: use your lights, use a few extra blinks of the turn signal indicator, and watch for blind spots (both yours and the other drivers)
3. Reduce speeds in heavy traffic, on very curvy roads, and when in the presence of a thick sheet of water on the road. However, reduce your speeds in these conditions marginally, not liberally. Keeping the flow of traffic steady and very close to the posted limits is of high importance.

So, you still want to drive like a blind man with a trigger brake pedal in the rain? If following the 3 basic rain driving rules listed above hasn't completely changed your mind, the follow these hints aimed at car maintenance:
1. Clean the windshield: If your windows are cloudy and smeared, get off your TV butt and get some Windex and paper towels and get out there and clean them! This most simple and basic of chores may cost you a total of 15 minutes, but will result in drastically better visibility for months. If your smoke in your car or ride with the windows down often, clean them more like every month. Even better, use non-color newspaper and window cleaner. Seems to leave less residue.
2. Change your wiper blades: Do this twice a year (for a total cost of about $30) or at least once annually and enjoy actually seeing the road, instead of a lot of wet haze. This is such an easy and cheap maintenance item and yet so many of you refuse to take 5 minutes and spend$12 to do it. Amazing. Don't forget the rear window wiper, if you have one.
3. Prep your windows: This author has endorsed Rain-X before, and does so again. Liberal use of Rain-X (a clear window treatment you put on and take off, much like wax) will result in water sheeting off your windshield and your other windows (use on mirrors too) with such efficiency that you may not even have to use your wipers under certain conditions! In all cases, this product will greatly enhance visibility when used regularly (minimum of 6 X a year?) and allow you to clean your windows with better ease.

The main idea is to enhance visibility so that you can drive with greater accuracy and confidence. To take matters a step further, keep those tires rotated, properly inflated, and the front end aligned. The benefits of those 3 maintenance items are more readily realized in rainy conditions. If you know your car is properly maintained and you can see with high levels of clarity, you will be far less likely to drive like most of the idiots who behave like they have rabies every time a few water drops fall on their windshield.

Driving in the rain does not have to mean accidents, traffic jams, and brake-and-throttle, herky-jerky driving for those on the road. In fact, 30 minutes of your time spent on simple maintenance once every three months can all erase the negative impact of driving in the rain. So why not just go ahead and admit that it will rain, you will be driving in the rain, and you need to prepare.

After all, if you have enough sense to tie your own shoes, you should be able to change wiper blades, apply a little Rain-X, and wipe off some interior film from your windows. But, if you do not possess such intelligence, then do us all a favor -- get a tricycle and get off the road.
Especially when it is raining.

Drive precise!