Another term used to describe hydroplaning is aquaplaning. This condition accounts for the majority of road accidents that occur in wet weather conditions in the U.S. Your vehicle tires are designed to keep this water from having that much grip on the tires. The thread design called grooves commonly found in tires is designed to disperse water from the surface of the tire at very high speeds. Experts say that the grooves of a good working tire at an average speed of 80kmph would disperse about seven gallons of water per second. This water dispersion reduces with speed and traction in tires.
Common Causes of Hydroplaning
Wet Roads: This is the major cause of hydroplaning among vehicles because hydroplaning only occurs on wet roads. A wet road would probably have less contact with the tires of a moving vehicle than a dry road. The deeper the water on the surface of the road is, the higher the chances of experiencing hydroplaning. Newbies to driving are advised to avoid driving on wet roads altogether if they cannot handle the experience. Speed: A vehicle’s speed is another factor that contributes to hydroplaning. When a vehicle drives slowly over a surface of water no matter how deep, it gives room for more traction between the tires and the road while on the other hand if it drives at a very high speed, it is prone to lose traction faster and that results in hydroplaning. What if you already found yourself on a wet road and there was nothing you had to do but drive past it? Drive slowly, at least below 65kmph. Bad Tires: A bad tire is a tire that has lost its grooves to skids as a result of applying a brake suddenly on tarred roads or worn out from long-term use, or is simply underinflated, other factors also contribute to tires losing their grooves. These grooves help to increase the tire’s grip on the road and thereby increase traction. Underinflated tires do not possess the necessary pressure required to maneuver wet roads. These bad tires are more likely to cause hydroplaning. Road Surface: Grooved concrete-made roads are less likely to experience hydroplaning than their non-grooved counterparts. These grooved roads have a better grip on vehicle tires even in wet conditions. Overall Vehicle Weight: A vehicle’s weight contributes largely to its chances of experiencing hydroplaning. A lightweight vehicle would experience hydroplaning before one with a larger weight.
Ways to Prevent Hydroplaning
If you are a newbie to driving, avoid driving on wet roads as much as you can. Always check your car tires, check the tread depth and check to see if they are not worn out. Regularly inter-change your tires to not put too much pressure on one particular tire. While driving on wet roads, avoid big pools that are a result of holes on roads. Do not drive at high speed on wet roads, the ideal speed for wet roads is below 65kmph or 40mph. Follow the tire paths of vehicles ahead of you, also do not follow them too closely as they also stand at risk to experience hydroplaning. Do not use your brakes too suddenly or take sharp turns without slowing down. Drifting on wet roads would most likely lead to hydroplaning. While driving on wet roads, always have your headlights on so you can see pools of water ahead on the road, the earlier you notice pools of water, the easier it is to maneuver or drive through them without being at high risk of experiencing hydroplaning. Ensure your tires are adequately inflated before setting out to drive on roadsDo not turn on your vehicle’s cruise control if the road is wet, this makes your vehicle tires spin faster and consequently difficult to control. Avoid driving on service lanes when the road is wet. The service lane is closer to the drainage, hence water flow in the direction of the drainage can overwhelm the tire’s traction.
How to handle hydroplaning?
Do not Panic, Stay calm: Panicking while hydroplaning will only make it worse. Staying calm and alert to make use of any opportunity or open window of safety as soon as it comes knocking.
Do not use your brakes or Accelerate further: Although it is logical to stop accelerating while your car hydroplanes, it is also important that you do not try to use your brakes to stop the car suddenly. While you are calm, allow the vehicle to decelerate at its pace until it comes to a halt or until you regain control. As your car decelerates, you will gradually regain control of the vehicle again.
Control your wheel towards the direction of the hydroplaning: While your vehicle hydroplanes towards a direction, do not immediately steer in the opposite direction as this may send the car spinning. Try steering towards the direction of the hydroplaning while carefully and slowly changing the direction back to the road path as you desire.
After your vehicle gains traction, pull over and compose yourself: Hydroplaning happens so fast and it can lead to intense fear and loss of coordination, after you have gained control of the vehicle and you can pull over, please do. This will help you assess your vehicle’s state and restore your composure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, hydroplaning can happen to anyone, either a novice or a veteran driver, stay calm throughout the entire process and make fast and correct decisions as decisions you make within seconds can either send your vehicle flying off the road or coming to a halt.
