WABASH VALLEY (WTHI) -- We normally don't think of slick roads when temperatures are above freezing. This time of year though, roads can become very slick due to wet leaves. Over the last few days we have experienced very strong winds and that will cause the leaves to accumulate fast onto roads.
A Dry road has an average stopping distance of 80 feet. While a wet road, caused by rain, has a stopping distance 2 times that at 160 feet. On a wet road with leaves on it, the stopping distance increases to 250 feet.
The U.S. Department of Transportation says that wet pavement alone causes 15% of all crashes.
11% of crashes are caused by snow and ice.
Weather-related crashes account for 21% of all vehicle crashes. Weather-related crashes:
- Rain = 46% of vehicle crashes
- Snow and Ice = 47% of vehicle crashes
- Fog = 3% of vehicle crashes
Rain can make roads very slick and hazardous even more so than snow and ice. But when you add leaves to the road, the odds of getting into a crash increase significantly.
(Source: Ten-year averages from 2007 to 2016 analyzed by Booz Allen Hamilton, based on NHTSA data).
For a more in-depth look, you can visit the Road Management Program's Website by the Federal Highway Administration. Click here.
