By Chris Taylor
Murray, KY – As heavy rain continues to fall throughout today, be cautious on your daily commute. Besides lowered visibility, there is a chance runoff can dislodge and sweep debris onto the roadway. Kentucky Transportation Spokesman Keith Todd says hydroplaning is a top threat to drivers.
"If you're going over about 55 miles an hour in the rain, then essentially you're driving on water, instead of driving on the pavement," Todd says. "So the main thing is to slow down, take it easy."
Todd says there's little drivers can do if their vehicles begin to hydroplane and the key is to prevent the phenomenon by not exceeding the speed limit. Todd says some secondary rural roadways can easily become submerged in water, especially ones that run near creeks and low-lying areas.
"Anytime you go over an inch or two of rain in a day, you're asking for trouble because the ditches just are not going to carry away water that fast; and the ground gets saturated and when that water starts running off, you know sometimes you don't know where it's going to go," Todd says.
Todd has a simple rhyming warning for drivers if you come upon water over the roadway: Just turn around, don't drown. He says as little as 6 inches of moving water can push vehicles off the roadway.
Todd also reminds drivers, if you have to turn on the windshield wipers, you should also turn on the headlights to ensure other drivers can see you.