SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The storm is wreaking havoc on the roads.
One Bay Area body shop says they’ve seen a spike in car crashes with triple the amount of cars coming through.
Arco’s Auto Body employees tell KRON4 this is the worst rainy season they’ve seen with not just the higher number of cars at their shop, but the extent of the damage too.
This week, Bay Area drivers will have to get through a second round of rain storms.
But it seems many still aren’t mindful of the hazardous conditions.
The South San Francisco Body Shop is working on three times more wrecked cars since the first sign of heavy rain.
“Work has tripled just because of that,” body shop employee Gene Cantu said.
Not only is Arco’s Auto Body operating at max capacity since the first sign of heavy a downpour, they’re also seeing cars that have been through worse crashes.
“We’re not seeing typical bumper jobs, fender jobs,” Cantu said. “Now, it’s a lot more like the cars behind us, and we’re seeing totals as a result of the damage to the vehicles.”
Gene says drivers just aren’t slowing down and giving enough room up ahead until it’s too late.
“First off, it seems people aren’t slowing down. No matter how much rain is on the ground, they speed up. People are still texting,” Cantu said. “There’s just no time to stop. By the time…they have to break, it just leads to what you see behind us [wrecked cars].”
The California Highway Patrol reports it’s best to let go of the gas pedal instead of slamming the breaks if you hydroplane on a wet road.
Plus, driving slow can help for many hazards you might not be able to see up ahead.
Arco’s Auto Body employees say this is the worst rainy season they’ve seen with not just the higher number of cars at their shop, but the extent of the damage too.