People should drive safely during the rainy season, the Freeway Bureau said on Wednesday last week as it unveiled traffic controls for the Dragon Boat Festival from June 19 to 21.
Private vehicles would only be able to access the Taipei-bound lanes of the Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Freeway (Freeway No. 5) if they are carrying three people or more on the second and third days of the long weekend in anticipation of heavy traffic and rainy conditions, the bureau said.
Forecasts show a high likelihood of afternoon rain with the onset of the rainy season this month, which would affect road safety, it said.
Photo: Chen Wen-chan, Taipei Times
Rain reduces visibility and makes road surfaces slippery, leading to delayed brake response and longer braking distances, elevating the risk of car-on-car and car-pedestrian collisions, it said.
Headlights should be turned on during rain to increase driver visibility and visibility to others, it said.
When driving on wet roads, following distances between vehicles should be lengthened to give drivers more reaction time and purchase for their brakes, the bureau said, adding that sudden lane changes, acceleration and braking should be avoided.
Cars and motorcycles should slow down on waterlogged sections of road to prevent loss of control, it said.
Drivers must keep their hands on the wheel and be aware of vehicles in from them at all times, it said.
Overreliance on advanced driver assistance systems, which underperform on wet roads, has been linked to crashes, the bureau said, adding that technology is not a substitute for driver awareness.
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