New To LA? Here's how to drive in rain. (transplants, home)

[LaoTzuMindFu]

This is for all you non native LA people who moved here from wherever else you were from because LA is better and provide you with better opportunities than your home town.

I am sick of the transplants saying LA people do not know how to drive in the rain so I wanted to provide you with this little bit of info so that you wont be so ignorant as to why we drive slow in the rain.

The reason people here slow down when it rains is primarily for safety. Remember, it does not rain here too often and with millions of cars we have here commuting 24hrs a day on all our roads, streets and freeways, there is a lot of oil built up on the roads. During the first rain, it brings up all the oil in the ground and makes for extremely hazardous conditions (i.e., very slippery roads). When I was an assistant for a large motorcycle training group in Hollywood a number of years back, we always told our fellow riders that if you are on the road during the first rain, to immediately pull over for for a few hours (restaraunt, coffee shop, etc.) until most of the top oil is washed away, then proceed but slowly allowing extra stopping distance between you and car in front. This applies to all on the road.

[BennyPhoenix]

Good advice.
You always see a lot of accidents on the first rain here and they are usually the new arrivals who say people in LA dont know how to drive in the rain.

[katenik]

i always thought that when people say we don't know how to drive in the rain, they mean we drive too fast. i slow down considerably when it rains, but i don't see many others doing so. i also find that trying to leave extra stopping distance is, in most cases, just an invitation for two more cars to merge into the lane in front of me. that's one concept that i don't think most drivers will ever grasp.

[RangerDuke08]

You forget to mention to leave some distance, the stopping distance is longer in rainy conditions.

[JTGJR]

Originally Posted by RangerDuke08

You forget to mention to leave some distance, the stopping distance is longer in rainy conditions.

Stopping distance isn't longer . . . only the sliding/skidding distance.

[EscapeCalifornia]

People are idiots and depend on high traction to bail them out of their stupid maneuvers. When traction is less, the inevitable happens.

[hsw]

Good advice for anyone driving in rain

Actually find CA drivers generally more competent driving fast (when traffic and weather allow) on urban fwys than drivers in NYC or Chic...which have often-crappy weather and generally slower fwys

Have often found it's the drivers of newer performance cars who tend to be some of safest, fast drivers on fwys....esp tailgating distances; safe lane changes; using turn signals; headlights on in rain, etc....guys who prob have a decent understanding of the delicate balance between hp/torque/performance tires and traction on a slick road

When it rains heavily in CA, one usually needs to dodge a bunch of rolled-over SUVs of generally obese people who clearly can't drive and assume a 6000+lb POS is invincible in any weather....they don't hand out certain vehicles to just anyone

[greggd]

Originally Posted by hsw

When it rains heavily in CA, one usually needs to dodge a bunch of rolled-over SUVs of generally obese people who clearly can't drive and assume a 6000+lb POS is invincible in any weather....they don't hand out certain vehicles to just anyone

You should submit this online to one of the tv stations. This is classic.

[KnoxTown]

People here drive faster when it rains...

[Fontucky]

Another heads up for newcomers: Yes, we already know we make a big deal out of a rain event, including all the local news programs leading with something they call "Storm Watch" for the barest hint of rain. Truth be told, it rains here so seldom, we treat it like the second coming..... mainly because that's usually what it is, the second coming of rain in what seems like the last 10 years.

One also has to consider that rain is the major contributor to one leg of our natural disaster trifecta... the mudslides and flooding that always follow after the second leg bares its ugly face, which are the yearly wildland fires. (The first leg of the trifecta: earthquakes)

So, in a nutshell, what I'm trying to say is: Shut the f up.

Thank you.