Hydroplaning - What is it and how to avoid it

What is hydroplaning?

April showers may bring May flowers but they can also cause more accidents. Hydroplaning is a situation that may occur when driving on wet roads, and can happen in an instant. When your vehicle hydroplanes, your vehicle completely loses contact with the road and is actually riding on the water. In wet weather you need to be aware - driving across a wet surface can cause your tires to lose their gripping power, and you to lose control of the vehicle.

The 3 main factors that contribute to hydroplaning:

• 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.

What you should not do if your vehicle starts to hydroplane

• Don’t brake suddenly. Hydroplaning is a loss of traction to the front tires. Sudden braking slows the front tires but can lock the rear tires causing a spin out.
• Don’t accelerate suddenly. Sudden acceleration can pull the vehicle straight ahead which could be dangerous if, for instance, the vehicle is pointed toward the edge of the roadway when it regains traction.

What you should do

• The type of vehicle you are in:
  - If you are in a front wheel drive with or without ABS and traction control or a rear wheel drive with ABS and traction control and you begin to hydroplane, look for open space and plan to travel in that direction. Stay lightly on the accelerator and steer gently toward the open space you have identified.
  - If you are in a rear wheel drive without ABS and traction control look for open space and plan to travel in that direction. Ease off the accelerator and steer toward the open space you have identified.
• Don’t use cruise control. When engaged, your vehicle may recognize the buildup of water as slowing down and send more power to the wheels. This may cause the car to shift to a lower gear and build even more water under the tires.
• Check your tire tread often. Although thin water layers can cause a loss of traction, as your tires become worn, their ability to resist hydroplaning is reduced. Place a penny upside down in your tread. If Lincoln’s head is hidden, your tread is thick enough. If the tread doesn’t hide Lincoln’s head, your tread is too thin and you should consider purchasing new tires.
• 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.

How you can tell your vehicle is hydroplaning

It may be difficult to determine when you are hydroplaning. The rear end of your vehicle may feel loose, giving you the sensation that it has moved to one side or the other as if it’s caught in a crosswind. The steering may also suddenly feel loose. Watch the road ahead for standing or running water. Pay attention to the spray being kicked up by the cars in front of you. If it suddenly increases, the driver in front of you may have just hit a patch of water that could cause you to hydroplane.

When all precautions fail

If you do wind up hydroplaning, don’t panic — the situation is manageable if you remain calm. Donʹt slam on the brakes, don’t accelerate, don’t oversteer and keep the nose of your vehicle pointed straight ahead. You should begin to slow and regain control.

Why is this important

There are many things that can happen when you lose control of your vehicle. Accidents can be caused and people hurt. Regardless of what you would hit when you hydroplane, it will likely be categorized as an at-fault accident and may cause your auto insurance rates to go up.

For more information about hydroplaning and how it may or may not effect your auto insurance rates, please contact Farmers Insurance - The Wertzberger Agency at 913-383-3276 or email us HERE.