Someone Explain the "Wet Car" Look in Films/TV Shows

OK, I understand the reasoning for wetting down the streets at night during filming (it helps the street look better, easier to see on film, aesthetic/technical reasons, etc.). It's annoying and really cliche' but whatever. I wish they'd stop that too, because it's so distracting and unrealistic.

There's been a recent trend in films and TV shows where the street/surrounding area is completely dry, but the car the characters are in is wet, like it's been rained on. What is the point? Why has this trend exploded over the past year or two?

@Vidiot or someone else can probably explain this.

 

I concur about the 'wet streets'; totally distracts me!
But cars... I believe it may have to do with the possible 'cuts' from person to person, in the car. It makes it easier to edit when the characters are driving on a 'rainy day', so they don't have to worry about the 'outside scenery' matching up.... maybe.

 

They did the wet street back in the 50s too. Here is a shot from Leave It to Beaver.

 

Is this really a 'thing'? I've never noticed it per se. If it is an actual thing, maybe it's something to do with keeping down the dust levels, or something... I would think it would cause more problems then not, as the water would add to glare and reflections.

 

I call this the "Michael Mann Effect," because he started using wet streets and strong colors going back to his 1981 film Thief. Others had used it before, but I think he repopularized to a great extent, to the point where it became the new hot visual cliche in films. It was continued in Miami Vice and quite a few other shows.

One is that it looks cool; one is that it reflects the color around the street, getting away from the usual grey dust and clutter; and the last is that it helps cover up the skid marks in the street from previous chase scenes that weren't used.