If 50mm pours down, wipers become useless... Do not hold the steering wheel during heavy rain

Wipers and Vehicle Sensors Also Become 'Useless'
Accidents of Disappearance While Driving Through Rainy Roads

Between the 9th and the morning of the 10th, rain and wind swept across the country. In some regions, water overflowed, and tragically, a delivery worker went missing while driving through the rain-soaked roads. It was found that driving in severe heavy rain conditions more than doubles the fatality rate.

On the 9th, SBS measured how dangerous driving on wet roads can be through a simulation experiment. The broadcast recreated a rain-like environment by driving through an experimental tunnel capable of producing artificial rain and fog.

In an environment where rain falls at 50mm per hour, visibility is greatly limited. [Image source=SBS broadcast capture]

The first experiment simulated rainfall of 20mm and 50mm per hour. When the car was driving and the wipers were operating, the windshield was wiped fairly well at 20mm, but became useless at 50mm. This was because the rate at which water accumulated on the windshield exceeded the speed at which the wipers could clear it. In other words, during a heavy downpour of 30mm per hour, wipers cannot be relied upon.

Moreover, in heavy rain conditions, not only does the rain intensify, but the wind also blows stronger, and on actual roads, there is a high possibility of other vehicles being ahead or behind. To make matters worse, lane departure warning sensors can malfunction.

Regarding this, Wonil Park, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, explained on the broadcast, "Due to the hydroplaning phenomenon where water pools on the road, the reflectivity of lane markings decreases," adding, "Drivers find it difficult to see the lanes clearly, and it becomes hard to see the vehicles ahead."

On the afternoon of the 9th, the fire rescue team is searching for a woman who went missing due to heavy rain in a small stream in Pyeongsari, Jinryang-eup, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Traffic accidents on wet roads also have a significantly higher fatality rate. According to SBS, out of 100 wet road traffic accidents, 2.01 people died, which is 1.5 times higher than the death rate in traffic accidents on clear days. In the case of traffic accidents, the number of deaths was 9.14, with the fatality rate soaring 4.5 times.

Meanwhile, on the same day, a delivery driver who was driving through the rain was swept away by a rapid current and went missing. At around 5:12 a.m., a woman in her 40s, Ms. A, went missing after being swept away by rising waters in Bugicheon, a small stream in Pyeongsari, Jinryang-eup, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk. The police secured black box footage from the abandoned vehicle and found that Ms. A, who was driving, got out of the car when it became submerged and was swept away by the rapid current while standing outside briefly.

The first person to report the incident was Ms. A’s coworker, Mr. B, who reported, "After receiving a message that she could not make deliveries due to heavy rain, I lost contact with her."

The Gyeongsan area where the accident occurred received over 180mm of heavy rainfall in some parts from the night of the 8th until noon the following day. Some national roads were flooded, leading to complete vehicle restrictions.