Spring showers bring May flowers, but those rain showers also bring risks.
With all of the rain that comes during the spring season, road conditions can be affected – which can lead to an increase in motor vehicle accidents.
According to the Federal Highway Administration 70% of weather-related crashes occur on wet roads.
One of the biggest dangers of wet roads is the risk of hydroplaning. Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle’s tires lose all available traction and contact with the road surface because too much water gets between the tire and the surface. When there is water on the road, vehicle tires need to pump that water out of the way in order to maintain surface contact, when that does not happen, the vehicle begins to hydroplane.
How to Prevent Hydroplaning
A few ways to prevent hydroplaning from happening are:
- Having good tires with adequate tread depth
- Maintaining proper tire pressure
- Keeping your vehicle’s speed appropriate
- Avoiding big puddles where possible
When tires are old, balding or improperly inflated they cannot effectively pump water away from the road, therefore increasing the risk of hydroplaning.
Keeping your speed appropriate is also very important in allowing your tires enough time to pump the water out of the way. If you are speeding, the tires cannot disperse water fast enough and therefore hydroplaning can occur.
Additionally, avoiding big puddles, when possible, can decrease your chances of hydroplaning. The less water the tires have to pump out of the way, the lower the risk of hydroplaning.
While these tips can reduce the risk of hydroplaning, in heavy rain, even well-maintained tires and cautious driving can’t always prevent it.
What To Do If You Hydroplane?
When a vehicle starts to hydroplane, you will feel a loss in control of your steering.
The most important thing is NOT to panic.
Panicking and jerking the steering or slamming on the breaks can actually make the skid from hydroplaning worse and could send your vehicle spinning completely out of control.
The first thing to do is let up on the gas slightly. Usually as your vehicle slows down, it can regain traction easier.
If necessary, apply a gentle break but do not slam on the brakes.
To keep your car going in the direction you want to travel, you can turn the steering wheel slightly towards where you need to go.
If the slight steering does not work, do not keep adding force to the turn, just wait until you regain traction.
Typically, a vehicle may only hydroplane for a few seconds before reaching ground contact again where it will be able to gain control back. So, it is important to remain calm.
Hydroplaning can feel very scary in the moment, and it can be very dangerous. But with these tips we hope you can drive with confidence and an elevated level of safety, even during these spring rain falls.
Sources:
https://www.caranddriver.com/shopping-advice/a26311127/hydroplaning-definition-prevent-recovering/
https://www.bridgestonetire.com/learn/maintenance/hydroplaning/