There's no doubt about it, even a small amount of water on the road can create chaos unless steps are taken. Surprisingly, wet roads from rain cause far more accidents than do snowy and icy conditions, and most people encounter far more rainy day conditions than winter conditions. Many drivers seem blissfully unaware of the dangers of driving on wet streets, and that can mean problems for even the safest drivers. Read on to learn more about staying safe on wet roads and how fault may be determined when it comes to personal injury issues.

Safety rules

In most cases, accidents could have been prevented just by following a few basic safety rules, such as:

1. Keep well back from the car in front of you. Use the so called 3 second rule to judge your distance and keep that distance at all times. When the roads are wet, you can easily skid into the rear of a vehicle unless you leave room. Additionally, maintaining a good space between vehicles allows you more time to react and take evasive actions if a car stops or a crash happens in front of you.

2. When conditions turn wet, automatically reduce your speed. You will need more time to stop on wet roads, regardless of how other drivers are driving or what the speed limit sign says.

3. Your tires have a harder time gripping the road when it's wet, which can lead to skids on turns. Once you lose control of your vehicle on a wet road, there's no predicting where you'll end up and how much damage you can do to yourself or others.

4. Your car comes equipped with several important pieces of safety equipment, so keep your windshield wipers fresh and use your headlights when it begins to rain.

Rear end collisions

One of the most common accident situations on wet roads is rear end collisions. While it's easy to just assume that the driver in the back that hits the car in front is at fault, things can turn out differently for insurance and personal injury purposes. In some cases, you may have no choice but to crash into a vehicle in front of you.

For example, if a driver ahead of you suddenly enters your lane due to a skid on wet roads, there may really be no time to stop or take evasive actions to avoid the wreck. The driver who you hit may actually be at fault for causing this type of accident.

Understanding liability

When it comes to claims, liability can be considered fault. Accidents can be complicated, and just because you hit someone does not automatically mean that you are 100% liable. Accident fault can be divided using any percentage, and the corresponding money damages could be adjusted accordingly. If you have been involved in a wet road accident, seek legal help. A personal injury lawyer like those at Caldwell Kennedy & Porter can untangle the accident and help you get the compensation to which you are entitled.