It rained in Brisbane last night... time for a little rant...

[Neeek]

We had some rain here in Brisbane last night, and of course driving in the rain makes life a little more challenging for the driver. You’ve got a couple of new things to take care of, like switching on your wipers, perhaps turning on your lights if the need calls for it. But as is usually the case with me, I have issues with driving in the rain. More specifically, with road users who, by choice or otherwise, are out there on the roads with me.

My first issue is the white lines on the road. Why do they disappear at the first sign of moisture? Is this just me, or do they really vanish? Having come from the UK, I’m used to driving in the rain and I can honestly, categorically tell you that the white lines marking the centre of the road are still visible on the A10 coming out of London when it’s bucketing down at 15.4 cubic litres per second. If I could see out of the front of my car, I could see the lines. Why not here?

My second issue is perhaps more troubling – why do people think that when it rains it’s the ideal time to see test the adhesion limits of their tyres? I’m not even talking about those drivers that spin wheels wherever possible, or indeed those whose cars only break traction in the wet so they relish the opportunity when it’s time for wading boots. No, I refer to drivers who seemingly refuse to acknowledge the fact that driving in the wet presents a few more hazards, and so they drive as though the roads were bone dry. To the gentleman in the Lexus LX470 with the rego plates OUR470 who I have had follow me in the rain a few times on the way to work, please take a bow, because this is aimed at people like you.

Granted, we have far more sunny and dry days here in Australia (especially Queensland) than in the UK. But I still don’t get it. I was passed by aforementioned idiot the other week, going way too fast for the wet conditions. Did he know that if he had to slam the brakes on in a hurry, no amount of electronic ABS gadgetry would stop him from crashing into something or worse, getting someone killed? And for what? A few minutes shaved off your journey time? It sickens me that some people can be so selfish. Don’t they realise how bloody irresponsible they’re being? They’re not even 17 year olds out in Dad’s XR6 – these types of driver are as varied as they are plentiful.

You can’t argue with the laws of physics, guys. Your car will not grip the road in the wet as it would in the dry. Do you actually enjoy the sensation of your tyres aquaplaning over the bitumen? Do you like having these "moments" where your car is technically out of control? I have experienced aquaplaning at high speed once that I can remember clearly, and I was so shaken by the experience that I drove the rest of my journey as though my octogenarian grandmother was in the passenger seat and would threaten to hit me with her handbag if I so much as thought about blinking in an inappropriate manner.

All it takes is a little more caution, a little more forward planning and above all, a gentle right foot. Yet so many people seem incapable of grasping this relatively simple principle. This morning, I witnessed a 3 car pile-up on Milton Road, again caused by someone driving too fast and then losing control in the wet when it came time to slow down. I can say this because I saw them hit each other.

To those that relish the opportunity to drive their vehicles as though they had unlimited grip and nerve, seek your thrills elsewhere, please.