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TDOT Driver: Motorists Speed Up When Raining

237 views · Published 8 May 2013 · 2:43 · Indexed 24 October 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2013 · News & Politics

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by Alyssa Spirato As the rain continues to pour down on the roadways, The Tennessee Department of Transportation is on high alert making sure motorists stay safe in the slick conditions. But there's one program that works around-the-clock especially during wet weather.Add day-long rainfall and busy roadways with weekend traffic, you get the perfect combination for dangerous driving conditions. And when there is an accident, it's not just first responders who step in to help.TDOT worker Brian Moore is also standing by when you get into a situation you weren't ready for.We're here to move anything out of the roadway whether it's a piece of debris or wreck, says Moore.Moore's job with the TDOT help team is to get traffic moving on the interstate. But when there's an abundance of rainfall like Saturday, he's on high alert.Anything we talked about preciptiation, we already know. We already check the weather every night before we go to bed when we got to go to work. We know, we're gonna be busy tomorrow, says Moore.So NewsChannel9 took a ride with Moore to see first-hand the condition of the wet roadway. It was only an hour into the ride along until we were called to Interstate 24 near the ridgecut on a single vehicle wreck. Although it's not clear exactly what caused the wreck, Moore says what is clear is many accidents are caused by drivers simply going too fast.Pair speeding drivers with slick roadways, could be a disaster waiting to happen.When it rains, for some reason people want to drive faster. What that does it hydroplanes. That's what I wind up working a lot of wrecks. Single car vehicles that have hit some standing water because they are just going too fast for the conditions. It spins them around, says Moore.But Moore says there is a way to combat the growing problem.The biggest thing is when it rains if people would just slow down. I mean 5 miles an hour. The speed limit here is 55, yet normally their doing 70. If they were to slow down to 55, we'd have less problems, says Moore.

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