subject: How to Reduce Your Risk of Hydroplaning [print this page] How to Reduce Your Risk of Hydroplaning How to Reduce Your Risk of Hydroplaning
Anyone who has hydroplaned before can attest to how frightening of an experience it is. I have seen a lot of auto accidents that result from people losing control over their cars this way, and they can result in very serious injuries. Even people who have lived in areas where it rains a lot their entire lives are not immune to hydroplaning if they drive without caution. As the weather gets worse over the course of this winter, we need to be even more careful on the road. These accidents and the injuries that result can be significantly reduced if people knew how to avoid hydroplaning and what to do if it starts to happen anyways.Reducing the risk: Hydroplaning occurs when the tires lose grip on the road and slide along the water that covers it. The car's speed is one of the biggest factors involved in making this happen. Once a car reaches a certain speed, driving in the rain becomes basically the same thing as driving on ice. When the combination of water on the road and the speed of the vehicle is enough, the weight of the car will not be great enough to maintain traction. While speeding is a common cause of hydroplaning, it is just as harmful to slam on the brakes. This will make the car very difficult to control, and may turn it sideways as it hydroplanes. To make sure you avoid having to break suddenly, always keep a safe distance between you and the car in front of you.Another very important factor in hydroplaning is the tire quality of a car. Worn out tires cannot disperse water away from the vehicle. Before you drive in the rain, make sure your tires have good tread depth and pressure.What to do if your vehicle hydroplanes: The risk of hydroplaning can be significantly reduced by having good tires and slowing down, but it still happens, so it is important to know how to handle it. It is not always easy to know if you are hydroplaning, but when it is serious, you will be able to easily recognize the lack of power you have over what your vehicle is doing. When this happens, the worst thing you can do is slam on your brakes or turn your steering wheel. When you do either of these, the car will skid even worse and may turn sideways as it hydroplanes. Instead, hold the steering wheel tightly in a straight-forward direction and ease off the accelerator. If you feel your rear tires hydroplaning, you can turn the steering wheel into the skid to regain traction, but need to immediately turn the wheel back forward once you do. If your car has an anti-lock braking system, you can brake normally to slow down the car. For vehicles that do not have ABS, lightly pumping the brake is the best way to stop.
