In British Columbia's Lower Mainland, most of us think we're experts at driving in the rain. But we don't have the same opinion of the other drivers.
"Everyone thinks they are a good driver, but not everyone is as capable as the best drivers to drive in the rain," summarized one downtown driver recently.
ICBC says when the rain hits, the number of accidents shoot up. Last October and November -- hundreds were hurt in weather related crashes in B.C.
"In those crashes, 490 people were injured or killed," says Sonny Senghera, of ICBC.
The first hour of rain after a dry spell is the worst as oil rises to the surface making the roads slick.
The testers at Consumer Reports show why wet roads are so dangerous.
They measure braking distance on dry and wet pavement at 100 kilometers per hour. They attached a machine to a test car which measures the distance between hitting the brakes and when the car actually stops. On dry pavement, this car traveled 43 meters until it stopped.
Then, testers wet down the track.
It turns out that a little moisture makes a big difference when it comes to your safety. On wet pavement, it took the car another seven meters --50 meters -- to stop. So even if it's only raining lightly, you want to be sure to leave more room between you and the car in front of you.
And with the time change also comes more accidents. Today, the Monday after the time changes is often the worst.
"We took a look at our data for last year and we realized the first Monday after the fall time change our crashes increased 18 percent," said Senghera.
Yikes. And over the week, as people adjust to the dark commute, accident rates return to normal.
And it you haven't checked your tires lately, now is a good time to do it. In the rain, these worn out tires with the steel belts poking through just won't grip the road.
There is one other thing to keep in mind when driving in the rain. To compensate for longer stopping distances, just drive slower.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
