After such a spectacular summer, that moisture falling from the sky feels like a cold slap in the face. If you drive, that’s exactly how the State Patrol hopes you’ll think of it.
It’s time for a major seasonal adjustment in how most people drive. The season’s first heavy rain is loosening months of built-up oil on area roads, turning the daily commute into a dangerous game of Slip ‘N’ Slide. Already, plenty of commuters have played and lost.
A five-car pileup on northbound I-5 near the Everett Mall gummed up the start of Monday morning’s wet commute, said State Patrol Trooper Kirk Rudeen, and a number of other accidents kept troopers swamped.
Such mishaps are too common this time of year, and Rudeen has some simple advice about how to get to work or school in one piece:
1. Make sure your windshield wipers are still clearing your vision, not smearing it. If they need replacing, take care of it today.
2. Check your tires for wear. What works in dry weather might be all but useless in the rain and snow. Replacing worn tires might not be cheap, but neither is an accident – or the ticket you could get if your treads are illegal.
3. Walk around your car to make sure all the exterior lights are working properly.
4. Most importantly – slow down.
“Speed limits are set for optimal driving conditions,” Rudeen said. “As weather conditions deteriorate, as traffic increases, you have to drive slower than the speed limit.”
Such advice probably means nothing to the reckless fools who dart through traffic like they were at Daytona, even in a downpour. For the sane among us, though, it’s worth keeping top-of-mind.
In wet conditions, the spray that comes off the vehicle in front of you can be blinding, Rudeen noted. Big commercial trucks, in particular, need to be given a wide berth. Get so close that you can read the bumper sticker in front of you and you might soon be eye-to-eye with your airbag.
Of course, commuters who use transit don’t have to pay attention to traffic. Maybe it’s time to give the bus or a vanpool a try. Sit back, close your eyes and imagine it’s still warm and sunny. That’ll make the commute pass quickly.
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