When it rains, it pours, the old saying goes and it also slips, slides, skids and rolls over. The “it” being cars and trucks on the roads in and around Honolulu yesterday. The Honolulu police had to deal with a spate of car and truck accidents during the Monday afternoon commute.
The car accidents forced the closure of Lifelike Highway twice during rush hour, first after a group of six separate car and truck accidents that were spaced before the tunnel on the Kaneohe side for about a mile. Shortly after reopening the road, a three-car accident occurred inside the Wilson Tunnel, causing police to close the road again. There were three additional accidents that the police also attributed to wet roads.
As Flossie passes Hawaii by, more rain is expected today and police suspect that a combination of driving too fast and wet roads contributed to the proliferation of accidents. Speed is a leading cause of car accidents and when combined with slippery, rain soaked roads, it can be especially dangerous.
Even a well-maintained car or truck, with good tires can lose loose traction on a wet highway. When a vehicle is moving too fast for conditions, the tires can begin to ride on a layer of water. The process, known as hydroplaning, can result in drivers losing control of their vehicles, sliding off the road, missing corners and crossing the centerline to cause deadly head-on accidents.
Fortunately, none of the accidents yesterday was fatal, but when it is wet out there, slow down and use extra caution.
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, “Wet roads blamed for rash of accidents,” July 30, 2013