Learning to follow traffic rules and regulations isn't just so that you don't get caught violating them. It's for everyone's safety. But it wouldn't matter if somebody, who has no apprehension whatsoever about such rules, is given a license. That's the grievance driving instructors have with driving exams being used not just in Washington state, where people seem to find themselves having more road accidents when it rains, but also with the rest of America.
More collisions happen when roads are wet, the Washington State Patrol confirms. In particular, the first rain after it’s been dry for a while can bring all the leaked oils and fluids from cars to the surface, and it’s hard to get traction on a road that slick.
But if we’re being honest with ourselves, the answer might be simpler: We’re not that good at driving in the first place.
Bad behind-the-wheel behavior isn’t isolated to the Puget Sound region. Compared to the rest of the world, Americans are mediocre drivers at best, said Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington.
(Image credit: Ashwini Chaudhary/Unsplash)
This past week, when the weather turned from sunny to rainy, there was a spike in traffic accidents. Then, as the week (and rain) continues, traffic accidents sort of went away. It's like people "forget" how to drive in the rain.