Yes, but for different reasons. (Warning: this comment's going to be a doosey.)
Rain:
During these conditions any dirt and oil that's on the road comes up to the surface (due to differences in density) and cause the roads to be incredably slick. If you live in an arid climate, like I do, then that same issue becomes even worse due to the larger amount of oil left on the road. What also makes rain difficult to drive in is the fact that heavier amounts of rain decrease the amount of light needed for driving. One of the beauties of driving in today's time is the fact that our vehicles have a highbeam option to optimize the amount of light you see on the road in darkened conditions, but that same feature is highly discouraged from use if there are other drivers near you (mainly on account that the amount of light produced by that option greatly hurts the other driver's eyes--thus increasing the odds of an accident). Rain furthur decreases visibility by covering your front windshield in water (for obvious reasons XD ). For this very reason it's alway a good idea to have your windshield wipers regularly changed because, after a while, they lose their ability to do their job. Again, if you live in an arid climate like I do, this problem is elivated because the heat will literally dry them out.
Snow:
Snow, as you know, is basically finely crushed ice. After this piles up, even if only slightly, the snow eventually creates a thin layer of ice over the road, especially on bridges since they don't have the protection of the earth's warmth to shield them from the cold. What makes this condition especially dangerous is something known as "black ice." This is ice that accumulates on the road that is litterally invisible to the driver because of it residing on the pavement itself. (I wish I could tell you more, but at this present time I've yet to obtain any experience in driving in these conditions.)
Both:
In both cases, what causes the danger is a mixture of lack of trackion on the tires (courtosy of hydroplaning or falling victim to black ice) and human error. Many driving manuals will advise you to avoid driving at normal speeds in these conditions due to the extended period of time it takes your vehicle to come to a halt. However, people generally drive at the same speeds anyway. The best way to protect yourself in these situations is to avoid driving, but in most cases driving is unavoidable. (Well, actually that isn't true for everyone: I speak as someone who lives in the Southern part of the US. The South isn't known for having adequate public transportation systems, save for a few major cities here and there, so the only way to get from point A to point B is by driving. Also keep in mind that the cities of the Southern part of the US are spread out much farther than cities residing on the East Coast.) I find that the best way to protect myself from other drivers is by increasing the distance between the guy in front of me and myself, along with taking extra caution when taking turns since the brunt of all acidents that occur in these conditions are produced from people at either not stopping in time or taking a turn too sharply and losing control of their vehicle.
Hope that helps! ^_^ (And I hope it wasn't too long... ^_^; )
Shadweh
Otaku Eternal | Posted 04/19/09 | Reply
@Haxelo:
Yes, but for different reasons. (Warning: this comment's going to be a doosey.)
Rain:
During these conditions any dirt and oil that's on the road comes up to the surface (due to differences in density) and cause the roads to be incredably slick. If you live in an arid climate, like I do, then that same issue becomes even worse due to the larger amount of oil left on the road. What also makes rain difficult to drive in is the fact that heavier amounts of rain decrease the amount of light needed for driving. One of the beauties of driving in today's time is the fact that our vehicles have a highbeam option to optimize the amount of light you see on the road in darkened conditions, but that same feature is highly discouraged from use if there are other drivers near you (mainly on account that the amount of light produced by that option greatly hurts the other driver's eyes--thus increasing the odds of an accident). Rain furthur decreases visibility by covering your front windshield in water (for obvious reasons XD ). For this very reason it's alway a good idea to have your windshield wipers regularly changed because, after a while, they lose their ability to do their job. Again, if you live in an arid climate like I do, this problem is elivated because the heat will literally dry them out.
Snow:
Snow, as you know, is basically finely crushed ice. After this piles up, even if only slightly, the snow eventually creates a thin layer of ice over the road, especially on bridges since they don't have the protection of the earth's warmth to shield them from the cold. What makes this condition especially dangerous is something known as "black ice." This is ice that accumulates on the road that is litterally invisible to the driver because of it residing on the pavement itself. (I wish I could tell you more, but at this present time I've yet to obtain any experience in driving in these conditions.)
Both:
In both cases, what causes the danger is a mixture of lack of trackion on the tires (courtosy of hydroplaning or falling victim to black ice) and human error. Many driving manuals will advise you to avoid driving at normal speeds in these conditions due to the extended period of time it takes your vehicle to come to a halt. However, people generally drive at the same speeds anyway. The best way to protect yourself in these situations is to avoid driving, but in most cases driving is unavoidable. (Well, actually that isn't true for everyone: I speak as someone who lives in the Southern part of the US. The South isn't known for having adequate public transportation systems, save for a few major cities here and there, so the only way to get from point A to point B is by driving. Also keep in mind that the cities of the Southern part of the US are spread out much farther than cities residing on the East Coast.) I find that the best way to protect myself from other drivers is by increasing the distance between the guy in front of me and myself, along with taking extra caution when taking turns since the brunt of all acidents that occur in these conditions are produced from people at either not stopping in time or taking a turn too sharply and losing control of their vehicle.
Hope that helps! ^_^ (And I hope it wasn't too long... ^_^; )
Haxelo
Otaku Eternal | Posted 04/17/09 | Reply
you're welcome. Oh, question: Is driving hard during rainy days or snow?