CHP Busy As On-and-off Weather Conditions Challenge Drivers

LOS ALTOS, CA — Perhaps drivers from one end of the San Francisco Peninsula to the other may need to be reminded of the dangers of hydroplaning when there's water on the roadways and obstacles when the wind blows hard as it has during this uncanny winter storm series hitting the Pacific Coastline.

The California Highway Patrol was hopping Thursday with a variety of circumstances. Officers had to respond to some. Others just kept them on guard.

"We had a ton of crashes," CHP Redwood City spokesman Art Montiel told Patch.

For starters, a tree down on southbound State Route 35 blocked a lane for motorists between Alpine Road and State Route 9 west of Los Altos. The CHP responded and called in the California Department of Transportation, which dispatched a crew to remove the tree.

Another incident was a crash on U.S. Highway 101 in Belmont involving five vehicles, with one passenger sustaining minor injuries, Montiel said.

Then, there are the near misses or incidents averting disaster, as the Peninsula agency showed on its Facebook page in warning motorists to be alert.

Here's one description: "It's a beautiful day on (Interstate) 280 this morning. It stopped raining for a few minutes and the sun came out. Suddenly, this vehicle here lost control and spun out. Luckily no other vehicles were struck and the driver suffered no injuries."

CHP indicated noticing motorists continuing to speed even in adverse weather conditions that may seem mild.

"Although speed limits on most Bay Area highways is set to 65mph, that speed is set for a beautiful sunny day. On rainy days, vehicles must travel at a speed that is safe for the conditions of the road in order to avoid collisions like the one below as the roads are still wet and slick."