MILWAUKEE - Rain contributed to several accidents on the freeways Friday afternoon. And that kept sheriff's deputies and the state patrol busy.

For miles all drivers could see were brake lights.  With speeds barely reaching 15 miles per hour, the freeway looked like a parking lot for hours.

"It was crazy. There were so many accidents," Alyssa Adams said.

Adams was one of the thousands of drivers trying to make it home safely in the rain.  But with accident after accident, slowing down traffic and shutting down roads, it took a lot longer than usual.

"It was like everyone's first time driving.  It was like the first snowfall again," Adams said.

State Patrol said the rain and slippery roads caused dozens of accidents.

The I-43 northbound ramp from eastbound I-94 was shut down in the Marquette Interchange. 

A car flipped over on I-94 in Oconomowoc, backing up traffic for miles. 

A semi and truck collided near Calhoun Road on westbound I-94. 

And several cars crashed along I-43 near Brown Deer Road, at Silver Spring Drive and at North Avenue.

"I sometimes see accidents, but I never see that many," Adams said.

"The last couple of days there has been a big spike in the number of accidents," Trooper Duane Clauer of the Wisconsin State Patrol said.

The number one thing State Patrol said drivers can do to stay safe is to simply slow down. "Take your time when you're going to your destination.  It's important to get there safely.  If you're late, you can always make up the time," Clauer said.

State Patrol said a lot of accidents happen when drivers go around curves too fast, or when people are following too closely.