Increased Braking Distance on Çatalköy Hills After Rainfall

After rainfall, driving conditions on the sloped roads of Çatalköy change rapidly.

Wet surfaces reduce tire grip, and on downhill sections this directly results in a longer braking distance.

In many cases, this change is not immediately perceived by the driver.

Why Is It More Dangerous After Rain?

Shortly after rain begins or ends:

• The road surface becomes slick
• Dust and oil residues rise to the surface
• Speed control becomes more difficult on downhill gradients

This combination causes vehicles to stop later than expected, even at low speeds.

In Çatalköy, this risk is especially noticeable:

• On downhill stretches
• Before bends and on narrow road segments

Moments Described as “It Slid”

These situations are often described as:

• “The car briefly slipped”
• “I braked, but it did not stop in time”

However, what occurs is not a momentary mistake.

It is a repeating risk pattern driven by surface conditions.

The same rain.

The same slope.

The same outcome.

Low Speed, Longer Distance

The most misleading aspect of this risk is the assumption that:

• The vehicle is not travelling fast
• The driver feels in control

Yet on a wet, inclined surface, the physics of braking change.

Stopping distance increases, and reaction time becomes insufficient.

For this reason, many incidents on Çatalköy’s hills after rainfall result in:

• Minor collisions
• Property damage

Why Does This Risk Repeat?

Because the conditions remain constant:

• Road gradients do not change
• Post-rain surface behaviour is consistent
• Driving habits repeat

As a result, similar incidents occur again and again on the same slopes, under similar conditions.

A Brief Note for Çatalköy

This is not a warning notice.

It is not a sales message.

This article records a rain-related braking distance risk observed on the hills of Çatalköy.

Because some risks are not created by speed,

but by the road surface itself.