Slick, but not crowded

Marisa O’Neil

Light holiday traffic helped offset rain-slicked roads Friday,

keeping accidents to a minimum during 2004’s first storm.

Orange County escaped with a minimum of rainfall, unlike areas of

Los Angeles County, which received a more substantial soaking. Fewer

cars on the road coupled with the small amount of rain also meant

Newport-Mesa got away with fewer of the traffic problems that

traditionally accompany rain in Southern California.

“When a few drops of rain fall, people freak out,” Newport Beach

City Councilman and South Bronx native Steve Bromberg joked. “People

from other parts of the country have a good laugh at us because

people [in Southern California] get very nervous as soon as it starts

to sprinkle.”

Tuesday’s storm spared Newport-Mesa: only 0.18 inches of rain were

reported at John Wayne Airport by the National Weather Service, and

there were a smattering of fender-bender accidents. Los Angeles

County didn’t fare so well: nearly a quarter of an inch of rain was

reported at Los Angeles International Airport between 4 and 10 a.m.,

and there were 150 traffic accidents, according to the California

Highway Patrol.

On Friday, Dec. 26, which was dry, Los Angeles County had about 85

accidents.

“There is rain, but there’s also a lighter traffic pattern since

it’s a holiday week,” CHP Officer Katrina Lundgren said of Orange

County on Friday. “We have very few accidents, but on a typical rainy

day, we have at least two times the normal number of accidents or

sometimes three times the normal number.”

While drivers in other parts of the country may scoff at Southern

Californians’ anxiety about driving in the rain, some factors can add

up to make it a bit more hazardous here.

Oils on normally dry road surfaces can rise to the surface during

a storm, Lundgren said, making it more slick than water alone would.

The longer between rains, the worse the problem.

Add to that drivers unaccustomed to inclement weather conditions,

and the pileups start piling up.

“People here aren’t used to driving in the rain,” Costa Mesa

Police Officer Bryan Wadkins said. “It happens so infrequently. Plus,

we have a lot more cars on the road here. With that and a lack of

experience [driving in the rain], we do get an increase in

accidents.”

Drivers should adjust their driving for the weather conditions,

Wadkins said, especially near the coast, which can be foggy. Keeping

speed in check is the first step to safe driving in the rain.

Even if drivers are going below the posted speed, he said, they

can still get a ticket if the conditions warrant a slower pace.

“If they don’t slow down when it’s raining, we usually get a lot

of rear-end [accidents] because people are not able to stop in time,”

he said. “They skid in the rain or have visibility problems.”

Replacing wiper blades each winter and keeping a safe distance

from the next car can also help reduce accidents, Lundgren said. But

even the best plans can go awry when other drivers are in a hurry.

“I use the three-second rule, allowing three seconds between me

and the car in front of me,” she said. “In Southern California,

that’s difficult because a lot of the time, if you do that, someone

cuts in front of you, so you have to keep adjusting your space.”

Motorists should get a break once this storm passes, with skies

clearing today and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Sunny skies and warmer weather -- temperatures in the 60s, at least

-- will return to Newport-Mesa.

“We’re very spoiled here,” Bromberg admitted. “I always say anyone

who doesn’t live in Southern California is a victim of circumstance.”