With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Visual Proof There Are More Car Crashes In L.A. When It Rains
In case you didn't get the memo yesterday, it was raining HARD (for L.A. standards) yesterday, and drivers were all aflutter. Traffic was hellish on the early morning commute, and we can definitely blame the rain for that one.
Since we hadn't had rainfall in such a long time, the National Weather Service sent out a warning about driving on the slick roadways that had oil build up on on them. Even a McDonald's big rig overturned on the 210 Freeway in Pasadena early Tuesday morning, with some melted dairy seen oozing out of the truck.
Two screenshots of Google Maps traffic above show crashes throughout the Southland. One was taken on Tuesday around 8:40 a.m., and the other this morning at the same, revealing a considerable higher number of crashes while it rained. Yesterday's map was a flurry of red crash icons and yellow exclamation marks, which we're sure just made commuters want to pound their heads on their steering wheels when they saw that.
The California Highway Patrol told the L.A. Times that on Tuesday from 4 a.m. to noon, there were 527 reported crashes on SoCal freeways. Last week at the same time when the weather was ridiculously hot and sunny, there were only 267 crashes.
Sponsored message
There are two schools of thought when it comes to the increased number of L.A. car crashes in the rain. One is that people just don't know how to drive in L.A. when it rains, and that our wimpy driving contributes to the crashes and snail's pace traffic. And then the other is that we're not really all that bad at driving, and that those roads are extra slippery with oil. Whatever the reason, we have to admit that when it rains in L.A., we all contemplate about not even getting in our cars and going to work:
me this a.m.: couldn't find rain jacket/umbrella, no clue what shoes to wear, briefly contemplated working from home #LAproblems #LATweather
— Annie Z. Yu (@anniezyu) September 15, 2015
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
