I understand slowing down when visibility is limited due to a heavy downpour. I can even embrace the concept and frequent explanation provided that during the first moments of a rain storm the oils on the road may surface and make the roads slick, but this washes away fairly quickly. And when the skies open up and bless us with angels wet kisses (yes I have actually heard that applied to rain, blech) for days on need, the oils don't replenish, they stay washed away.
Here's the gist physicist, slowing down (to a reasonable speed , not a crawl) in a downpour that hinders your line of sight = good, slowing down in a consistent drizzle with no visual impacts = not good. In fact to all those brakers out there, you are the hazard.
Have a little faith in your years of driving experience and stay on the gas. Your brake lights are blinding me in the reflection of the dew drops. You are more likely to crash or cause a crash by playing brake check than by simply maintaining a steady pace.
Being a cautious, aware, alert driver is always a plus. I recommend it always. But being a paranoid, nervous Nelly, behind the wheel, doesn't serve you or anyone else on the road well.
Remember the gas is on the right, the brake is on the left, and if you have a manual transmission the clutch is on the far left. Going 30mph in a 60mph zone is not "SAFE" nor is it helpful. You are an obstacle at this point and need to be removed. If driving in the rain freaks you out, then perhaps you should take public transportation, or move to a dryer climate, or just stay home.
Remember, its only rain. It can't hurt you, it can't hurt your car, and your more likely to hurt yourself by being hesitant than by driving normal. The one exception may be mountainous curvy roads, and I would take those slower anyway.
Reminds me of the time that Jennifer and I took all her kids down to Calif to see my mom and dad. That was like 13 years ago, yikes. I don't drive freeways, in the snow, fog, rain, (misty is ok), never pass big trucks, and absolutely no driving at night. So we were north of Vancouver coming back home and Jennifer was so tired that I drove, while she tried to get a 10 min nap. It was afternoon and misty out, but I was doing fine the first 5 minutes, until we hit pea soup fog. I started to panic and woke Jennifer up almost crying because it was so bad I couldn't see the front of the car...She just looked at me and shook her head and say oh my God mother, and flipped the defroster on. All of a sudden the fog lifted and it was clear as a bell...How did I know that my window was just fogged up...haha...
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