THP Encouraging Safe Driving During Heavy Rainfall

The Tennessee Highway Patrol wants drivers to use caution while driving as the Upper Cumberland braces for more heavy rainfall.

Cookeville Lieutenant Jimmy Neal said hydroplaning is a major concern while driving through standing water.

“What happens is the vehicle just rides on top of the water and you lose all control. You are at complete mercy of wherever the car wants to go,” Neal said. “It’s really a hazard, and we try to remind folks to please slow down.”

Neal said rising water can often times be deceptive, potentially damaging vehicles that drive through it and causing an accident.

“If you think about it, one cubic foot of water weighs more than 60 pounds,” Neal said. “With each foot of rising water, that’s 500 pounds of lateral force put on a vehicle. What that’s really saying is, with that much power and that much pressure, it can just push any type of vehicle. It doesn’t matter if it’s a four-wheel drive truck or if it’s an SUV, or if it’s just a typical car, it’s really a hazard.”

Neal reminds drivers to have their headlights on while driving as visibility can become an issue while driving in heavy rain.

“When you’re driving down the road and you pass somebody and it’s raining really hard, if they don’t have their headlights on, a lot of times you’ve already approached them and you are getting ready to pass them before you even realize they are there,” Neal said. “The headlights help a lot. They help identify that there’s another vehicle out there and you can see that vehicle.”

Tennessee state law requires all drivers to have their headlights on when windshield wipers are activated. Neal encourages drivers to stay home during heavy rainfall unless travel is absolutely necessary.

The National Weather Service predicts rain will stay in the forecast beginning Tuesday and last through at least Sunday.