As the weather gets colder and rainier, those still brave enough to venture out onto the roadways know that storms always happens at the worst time. The streets are just coming alive when a drizzle starts falling, and within a few minutes, drivers find themselves slipping and sliding all over the place. There are many reasons why roads get more slippery just when it starts to rain.
1. The Water on the Road Causes Friction Loss
When it rains, the water that is washed away from the streets becomes heavier than the air in the atmosphere. Due to this, it will begin to fall as rain because gravity pulls it to the ground. As a result, more force will go into every particle of water on the floor, and they will all come together against each other during these heavy raindrops. In turn, this will cause a build-up of static electricity between all the water particles and eventually cause those drivers gliding on their cars to lose traction.
2. Weakness in the Road Surface
When it starts to rain, there will be excess moisture on these roads, which can cause the asphalt to become weak and brittle. This is because water tends to have an acidity level which causes a chemical reaction in its environment. When this happens, water molecules can begin breaking apart and weaken the road surface of its protective layer. These minor cracks become more prominent as they dry out and ultimately cause a lot of friction between vehicles and the road surface. This can cause much damage if a driver slides into an unprotected road.
3. Windy Conditions
When it starts to rain, the wind can be mighty in certain areas, which also causes many problems with cars slipping on roads and pavement. Due to the extra force going into the water collected on the ground, any vehicle will go through it at higher speeds than usual can run into issues.
4. Slippery Road Surfaces Caused by Organic Compounds
When it starts to rain, the streets become slippery because of a reaction between other materials on the ground. This can cause oil and grease from cars to seep into these cracks and slowly begin mixing with the water on the road. As a result, this mixture thickens whenever it is exposed to large amounts of water and eventually becomes slippery for drivers who are not prepared for this wet environment.
5. Temperature Changes
When it starts to rain, there will also be significant temperature changes that occur as well. When this happens, there are going to be a lot of tiny air bubbles that get trapped in the road surface and allow for smooth traveling. However, when it starts to rain, there will be air under the water, and as a result, water will begin to be pushed down these tiny holes. As a result, the bubbles formed inside these small holes still create friction on the road surface and cause vehicles to lose traction.
Conclusion
Roads are more slippery when it rains than at any other time. When rain first starts to fall, it mixes with oils and other compounds that are on the ground and this makes for really slippery conditions, along with the other reasons we discussed in this article. That is why it is so important to stay safe while driving and drive slow and cautiously when it is raining.
