Rainy day driving conditions
As fall comes to southwest Missouri, it brings with it a host of difficulties for drivers, chief among these is more frequent rain. We spoke with Gerald Nash of the Missouri Department of Transportation to get answers to some tough questions posed by Springfield area drivers.
Q: When it’s raining, how much is the speed limit reduced? My sister thinks you should only drive half the speed limit, but I heard you should just stay at 25 miles per hour. (Zoe S – Springfield)
A: This is a common misconception in the Springfield area. The speed limit does not change when it is raining. You can drive normally, just be a little more careful.
Q: I’m worried about hydroplaning in wet conditions. If I’m waiting at a stoplight, how long after the light turns green should I sit there before going? (Dan R, – Ozark)
A: You don’t need to wait at green lights. When the light turns green, that means go.
Q: On four-lane roads when it is raining, is it better to occupy both lanes on my side by riding the white center line, or to swerve without warning between them? (Marilee S – Nixa)
A: Why would you even think that? Rain does not change the number of lanes on a road. Stay in your lane.
Q: I drive a truck. (Steve L. – Springfield)
A: That’s not even a question.
Q: As we’re all aware, when it rains, all rules of the road are cancelled, and driving becomes a dystopian survival of the fittest battle where only the strong arrive at their destination safely. How long has this been law in Missouri? (Jeff W – Willard)
A: That is not a law. It’s rain, not The Purge.
Q: The other day it was raining, and I was on a road where the speed limit was 45. I saw a car going the opposite direction with it’s left turn signal on, indicating they were going to turn through my lane. They appeared to be waiting for me to pass, but as I already stated, it was raining. I slowed to about 4 miles an hour just in case. Was that slow enough, or should I have just stopped entirely and waited for the weather to clear? (Sue K.- Battlefield)
A: The laws don’t change in- you know what? I give up. Go ahead and stop. Just stop your car in an active road, blocking the guy that wants to turn and wait for the rain to pass. Better yet, when it starts raining, call 911 and just scream “water from the sky” over and over again.
