Safety & Security Committee (SSC)
How does hydroplaning occur?
According to
Smart Motorist,
Hydroplaning occurs when water on the
roadway accumulates in front of your vehicle's
tires faster than the weight of your vehicle
can push it out of the way. The water pressure
can cause your car to rise up and slide on top
of a thin layer of water between your tires
and the road. While hydroplaning your vehicle
rides on top of the water, like a water skier
on a lake. In less than a second, your car can
completely lose contact with the road, putting
you in immediate danger of sliding out of your
lane. This usually happens at higher speeds,
over 40 miles per hour. Try to imagine your
vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on a
sheet of ice: that image approximates what
will happen if you try to brake or steer while
hydroplaning.
Contributing Factors
- Vehicle speed. As speed
increases, wet traction is considerably
reduced. Since hydroplaning can result in a
complete loss of traction and vehicle
control, you should always reduce speed,
paying attention to the traffic around you.
- Tire tread depth. As
your tires become worn, their ability to
resist hydroplaning is reduced.
- Water depth. The deeper
the water, the sooner you will lose
traction, although even thin water layers
can cause a loss of traction, including at
low speeds.
How can you tell
you're hydroplaning?
It is often hard to tell
when you are hydroplaning. The rear end of
your vehicle may feel a little squirrelly
(loose, giving you the sensation that it has
moved to one side or the other), especially in
a high crosswind. The steering may also
suddenly feel loose or little too easy. Watch
the road ahead for standing or running water.
You can also pay attention to the spray being
kicked up by the cars in front. If it suddenly
increases it's possible that the driver has
hit a patch of water that could cause you to
hydroplane.
What NOT to do if you start to hydroplane
There are two absolutely essential no-no's to
remember should you experience the beginning
of hydroplaning:
- Do not apply your brakes
-
Do not turn your steering wheel
What to do if you
start to hydroplane
If you find yourself hydroplaning, do not
brake or turn suddenly. This could throw your
car into a skid. Think of your steering wheel
as the rudder of a boat (your vehicle is
a boat when in the middle of a hydroplane).
Hold the wheel firmly and don't steer in any
other direction but straight ahead. Ease your
foot off the gas until the car slows and your
steering returns to normal. If you need to
brake, do it gently with light pumping
actions. If your car has anti-lock brakes,
then brake normally; the car's computer will
mimic a pumping action, when necessary. If
your vehicle’s tires are still in partial
contact with the road surface, you should be
able to regain control of the vehicle in the
same way that you would on snow or ice.
