Rain drops can flip you on your lid.....

Well, that's not exactly the words to that tune, but I found it amusing. In the area of the country where we are, it has been raining for the last 5 days, about an inch a day. As I traveled about, I noticed the increasing number of vehicles involved in wet road incidents. Surprisingly, many of these involved roll- overs. So I believe I will use this weeks blog to warn you all AGAIN about "Slippery When Wet". Roads are the most slippery in the first 20-30 minutes of the rain contacting the surface. This is because the oil and other petroleum products that have been deposited on the roadway will rise to the top and create a layer of nothing but SLICK! In contrast, the roads become even more dangerous if the rain continues for a long period (over a 2-3hr span) or is heavy on concentrated
areas. This causes water to pool or form a layer that gets between your tires and the road surface, making it difficult for your tires to perform properly, therefore, causing your vehicle to "hydroplane". Hydroplaning causes loss of control and rarely ends with a smooth finish. Large vehicles are not immune to this. An 18 wheeler weighing 80,oo0 lbs can hydroplane. The proper way to help gain control is #1 reduce speed and #2 turn into the skid. This technique is not guaranteed, however, it is worth the attempt. The most common mistake made when driving on wet surfaces, is drivers fail to slow down for the conditions. Reducing speed can help reduce the risk of hydroplaning and also allows the driver to "feel" the road better. When you can feel the road, you become more of aware of the amount of water on the surface can adjust driving accordingly. The next mistake drivers make, is not allowing for the increased braking distance.
Wet surfaces make braking more difficult and drivers should increase following distances by 1 car length and should prepare earlier for stop lights and exiting freeways. Becoming a more aware driver can keep you on the highway during inclement weather. Everyday I see drivers making poor choices in bad conditions and can almost point out the next driver to be involved in an incident. The picture above is of a SMART car. As you can see, this is probably the smartest car ever. Letting someone else do the driving, talk about saving fuel! Even the smartest car is only as intelligent as the person behind the wheel. Harmony on the Highways and Trucking 101.biz want to remind you that becoming more aware of your highway surroundings and driving within your own limits is the smartest thing you can do. Check out the following link about the vanishing vehicles and drop us an E with your comments, it is the subject of a future post and your feedback is important.

Thanks for reading and Please be courteous to your commuting com padres.
Ron Bakken