3 Ways Washington’s Heavy Rain is as Deadly as Snow & Ice
If you tend to drive faster in the rain than in snow or icy conditions, you might want to reconsider and read these surprising facts.
Heavy Rains Bring Ignored Danger to Washington's Highways
Most of Washington State has been getting hit with rain and forecasts predict the rain to continue. Just weeks ago, most of the state was dealing with snow storms and freezing rain slowing traffic all over Washington. Mostly, drivers in Washington State slowed down with the icy conditions however, that trend doesn't seem to continue with rain. Heavy rains bring the potential of flash flooding and water gathering on roadways causing multiple different kinds of dangers for Washington State drivers that you might not even be aware of.
Heavy Washington Rain is as Dangerous as Ice and Snow
If you look at crash statistics and how weather contributes to increased danger, heavy rain just might be more dangerous than any other road conditions that drivers face. The volume of crashes nationwide is larger for heavy rain than the number of accidents for icy or snowy conditions. The law website smileyinjurylaw.com states that for both "teenage drivers or any drivers, driving in the rain is far more dangerous than any other type of condition". They say the reason is because "rain is so frequent that ice, snow, and other conditions are also dangerous, but not as deadly as they don’t occur as often." Studies have shown that accident rates can jump by around 250% during heavy rain conditions.