Car accidents reported throughout central coast as rain finally arrives

Praying for rain is one thing, but preventing accidents when it does rain is more than half the battle.

“Inclement weather does play a factor in the increase of traffic collisions,” said California Highway Patrol Lt. Dan Hart.

Calls for service spiked early Thursday morning: In Salinas, a truck was stuck on a muddy embankment, a tree dented a car and multiple accidents occurred on Highway 101 as CHP said the rain caught drivers off guard.

“I think people don’t get into the mindset that this is when we start to see a lot of collisions because of the slippery roadways,” said CHP Sgt. Adam Rodriguez.

Quick tips like slowing down, keeping headlights on and constantly checking your surroundings can help, Hart said.

Another thing CHP said you should monitor is the distance between your car and the car in front of you. Rodriguez said when it rains your car may not stop as quickly as you want it to like it does on a normal dry day.

“The reduced grab that your tire has on the road, it’s going to take you a little longer to stop and so you need to keep that in mind when you drive,” Rodriguez said.

Also the drought played a key role because we haven’t experienced rain like this in nearly half a year. The moisture mixed with dirt embedded roadways creates even more slush, Rodriguez said.

“We’re all happy the rain is here. We’re all glad we’re getting a little relief but we have to remember to adjust our driving accordingly to that,” Rodriguez said.