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Here's Why Los Angeles' Roads Get Ridiculously Slippery When It Rains

Image: CBS 6 YouTube (Other)
Image: CBS 6 YouTube (Other)

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The recent rains in Southern California from Tropical Storm Hilary made for dangerous road conditions in much of the region. While a lot of Southern Californians still can’t drive when roads get wet, there are actual reasons why LA roads get so treacherous in slick conditions, Spectrum News explains.

Data from a 2003 study done by UC Berkeley shows that fatal crashes on rainy days increased threefold, but only when those periods of rain followed dry spells that were longer than three weeks. The reason is the buildup of gunk on roads during these dry spells that cause roads to get more slippery when they’re wet.

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