Rules to Navigating Atlanta Roads in the rain

I know my fellow Atlantians: RAIN IS CRAZY. But not really. No, the sky is NOT melting. But as I drove to work today I got the feeling that some of you out there were FREAKING OUT! OMIGOSH, is this acid falling from the sky?
Let me put your minds at ease. It isn't. It is just weather. Sometimes it rains. I know, I know. It is a bit scary. But this is ONE reason Sportsbyfletch is here. I have put together some rules of the road GA drivers can follow when it is raining outside....

1) Turn your lights on. No, I don't mean your parking lights. I mean your head-lights. Nothing like driving in a downpour of rain then all of a sudden a car sneaks up on you because the idiot didn't turn her lights on!

2) When I say turn your lights on, I don't mean your hazard lights. When you turn on the hazards, I can't tell if you are trying to change lanes and can't make up your mind. It also disables your brake lights. That's not fun.

3) Don't tailgate folks. That leads to accidents. People tend to brake at the slightest thing in the rain. if a car 5 miles down the road brakes EVERYONE breaks, so don't tailgate. But if you are being tailgated, GET OVER TO THE RIGHT.

4) When it IS raining, you don't have to go 80 in the 65 zone like you normally do, but how about we try 55 in the 65? You know, instead of 7mph. Just a thought.

5) Remember that you KNOW the road you are driving on. Odds are you do this ride EVERYDAY or you know where you are going. You don't need to brake at every exit and wonder if that is the one you need to take. I am confident you KNOW your way.

6) HEY! Anyone over 68 years old, driving a Cadillac, or has shrunken to the point you cannot see over the steering wheel needs to get out of the left two lanes. 285 has 5 lanes. Why don't you guys try the right three? MAYBE?

7) Hey Big Trucks over 6 wheels. Those signs BANNING you from the left two lanes STILL APPLIES in the rain.

8) Don't be a dick with puddles. Yes splashing water was fun...when you were seven. Do you REALLY need to drive through the big puddle to see the be wave you create? Because you just splash the water on other cars. THAT'S COOL. Wait, no it isn't.

9) Stay focused on the road. Quit talking on your phone, fiddling with the radio, shaving, reading the newspaper, whatever. This actually could apply to the road in dry conditions too.

10) WHEN you get into an accident (I won't say IF because people ALWAYS SEEM TO) you can STILL move over to the side of the road. you don't need to stay in the second from the left lane. You don't. You can still move off the highway. The rain won't hurt you. You'll just get wet. Unless you are a turkey.

So there you have it. Ten Simple rules to follow when you are driving in the rain on the highways of Atlanta. Follow these rules and you should be fine. Unless you are crazy. Please memorize these and don't just print this out and try to read it while driving in the rain. You will then violate rule #9 and thus have to follow #10. Let's not have that happen.