Safe Speed Forums

Can anyone explain why driving standards slip when it rains. This is something that has confused me as a motorist/cyclist and as a pedestrian. I know it's not everybody, but it is enough people to make the road a more dangerous place. It's almost as if motorists don't realise that they're not going to get wet while they are inside their cars. All reason escapes, and it would appear that any tolerance that was there for cyclists is washed away with the rain.

I'd prefer sensible comments. No anti-cyclist rants please.

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"would go faster if it wasn't for the cars blocking the roads"

I suspect that it's because there is a certain kind of driver, probably a sales rep, who will "press on" regardless.

For all the complaints about the stereotypical sales rep they generally do have pretty good observation, and will avoid cyclists long before the cyclist is close enough to cause a problem (or at least cause any kind of problem that requires them to have to slow down.

So what happens when you reduce that driver's visibility a bit and also reduce their car's ability to avoid hazards?

Yup, they continue driving as if nothing has changed, only now they dont see the cyclist until a lot later and have a harder time avoiding them.

I think the Mad Doc posted a similar thread based on e-mail from one of his sisters who pondered about theeffects of seriously hot weather. I know his sisters and brothers - decent motorists all.

I am calm and very as a passenger - let's put it that way


They do not like me as passenger as I note every thing and really put thes relative through an evaluatiion "ordeal"

I think that severe driving rain - vision for all is very much compromised. I do believe that all road users do not seem to see point of view of the other. I know from my own expereince of riding a bike in driving rain that the experience is far from pleasant. If you wear goggles - they can steam...


If you do not - then the rain really stings.


For drivers - I think frustration at being held up .. lack of vision // steamy windows ..... all add to a sort of "enfield Kevin display of being "SO-O-O- UNFAIR

Bewildered - I know this does not offer a solution to you - but then I think we have to be aware that untoward of unclemant /intemperate weaher brings out the worst in folk.

Maybe we should just accept that lok handle intense heat.. cold .. and wet ..remarkably badly

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

I believe it's because a lot of car drivers are so lazy, cocooned and protected, they fail to realise the additional hazard - they're too busy putting a CD in, yakking on the phone, looking out for cashcams etc...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

I have been puzzling about this since it was first posted. I don't believe that I see a significant drop in driving standards when it rains and I've been trying to figure out what might make the difference.

It's possible that it's a recent big city effect, because I'm a Londonder now living in North Scotland (since 1990). I do visit London quite frequenntly, but it's possible that I'm not as sensitive to subtle variations as I would be if I still lived there.

I do believe that driving standards are going sharply downhill. Have they gone down faster when it's wet? I don't think so.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Whilst I agree that driving standards have gone down, I do think that car drivers seem to take no consideration of the fact that it is raining! And the impact that should have on their driving - e.g. leaving a greater gap between vehicles etc...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

Hey Paul,

If you're a Londoner living in North Scotland, where's that, Gretna!!

But seriously, when you are on a bike you notice the difference. Maybe it's not the actual driving standards, but the sheer intolerance for anything on the road. Recently I had 2 death threats from motorist within 5 minute of each other. I can't be bothered going into detail, but both were unexpected. I pride myself on my cycling technique and these guys were just being assholes.

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"would go faster if it wasn't for the cars blocking the roads"

Interesting. I mainly assess the quality of other drivers by 'mistakes'. An alternative is to mainly assess their 'margin for error'. The second method may be more sensitive to the rain.

I resist making judgements in terms of other drivers' margin for error because I simply can't know what they know. Their knowledge of the circumstances can make a massive difference.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Gretna is around 5 hours south of here. - I'm 30 miles North of Inverness.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I judge drivers ability on how close they come to knocking me off and killing me. If someone passes me in a down pour and their wing mirror makes contact with my arm. I remonstrate and they threaten to kill me next time, I would say that's bad driving ability. Would you not agree?

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"would go faster if it wasn't for the cars blocking the roads"

That must make some place in Sutherland then, does it?

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"would go faster if it wasn't for the cars blocking the roads"

Absolutely. It's BOTH a 'mistake' and a 'margin for error' issue.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Not quite. Sutherland is mostly north of here, but only about 6 miles. We're in Ross-shire, although the area is sometimes called Ross and Cromarty.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

In my experience of cycling, these incidents occur more often in the rain, thus the title of the thread. Don't get me started on when it's raining & dark!!

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"would go faster if it wasn't for the cars blocking the roads"

Is this exclusively in a big city?

Is it at all possible that you contribute by, for example, keeping your head down? (serious question; no offence.)

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I don't think so, it's something I've observed as a motorist and as a pedestrian. It may be like a lot of things that seem to be magnified in a city the size of London. The moment there's a touch of heavy rain here, the traffic just changes into mayhem and gridlock. A guy I work beside also lives near me, some days when the weather is bad, his journey over the 5 miles can take over an hour, where as my journey only takes about an extra5/10 mins.

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"would go faster if it wasn't for the cars blocking the roads"

and keeping your head up would stop the "cyclist, must get past regardless of whether it's safe" morons how?

Not only London , but then again perhaps of larger towns and cities - i know that in Coventry jounrey times increase in wet weather, where as in Warkshire towns - two flakes of snow drops the speed to 10 mph

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

I was under the impression that his has already been researched!

The Conclusion...

People *hate* driving in the rain (and other bad driving conditions also)

What they are subconsiously doing is trying to get home and out of it as quickly as possible!

Unfortunatly this tends to result in people trying to "Press on" rarther than take it easy which makes disaster more, rather than less, likly!

What is more , it is difficult when ones wipers are going six to the dozen but you still cant see for the pressure of rain even if one is only doing 40 yet the BMW drivers are still passing at 90! One ends up feeling it is safer to drive faster even if one cannot see where one is going!

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Well, if the truckers can get pissed off at ridiculous generalisations, so can I. Please can all the people with car envy either buy yourselves a BMW (they can be had quite cheap if you don't insist on shiny) or at least keep a more accurate count of what people are driving.