Rainy days and LA drivers getting you down?

People drive their cars through deep water in Los Angeles, California, on December 22, 2010. Downtown Los Angeles received one-third of its annual average rainfall in less than a week. As of midmorning yesterday, the rain gauge at the University of Southern California campus recorded 5.77 inches.

We can’t just stay home when it rains, so how do you avoid becoming an L.A. driver cliché - or an accident statistic?

Showers are forecast through the weekend, just as the holiday party season is kicking off. And if the accident numbers are any indication, the old cliché that L.A. drivers can’t handle the rain holds true. According to California Highway Patrol, there were three times as many auto accidents yesterday as there were a week earlier. Why the drastic difference? Stormy weather.

All the normal rules of bad driving apply of course - driving too fast, switching lanes without signaling and focusing on iPhones instead of the road. When you add slicked-out streets and limited visibility, it’s a recipe for Carmageddon. We can’t just stay home when it rains, so how do you avoid becoming a cliché - or an accident statistic?

Guest:

Patrick Chandler, public information officer, Caltrans