I was heading down a steady hill, just after a warm rainstorm. The road was wet but not extremely so. There was no traffic around me but I was in no rush, driving comfortably at normal city speeds. When the light at the bottom of the hill changed, I stepped on the brake with plenty of room to spare and discovered that I had no traction at all. My car was hydroplaning.

Hydroplaning occurs when the treads of the car's tires are unable to dissipate water as quickly as it is acquired. With both partial (viscous) and full (dynamic) hydroplaning, the car's tires have lost some or all contact with the pavement and now effectively float (hydroplane) on a thin skin of water. Depending on the degree of contact loss, braking will take a much longer time or may be altogether impossible. As well, it will be difficult or impossible to change direction.

Most likely, a driver will discover that the car is hydroplaning upon trying either to brake or change direction and being unable to do so. At this point inertia is the strongest force acting on the car, so it is crucial to work with the inertia of the car rather than trying to force a way against it.

When hydroplaning, DO NOT:

* Panic
* Slam on the brakes
* Try to turn suddenly

DO:

* Take your foot off the gas pedal
* Disengage the cruise control, if it is on
* If driving a standard transmission, gear down gradually if you can. Otherwise, place the clutch in neutral and just let yourself coast
* If you need to brake, engage the brake gently until you feel the wheels connect. Note: an ABS system will do this automatically for you, even with normal braking.

If you began to hydroplane as a result of trying to change direction, odds are good that you are now in a skid. As always while hydroplaning, make no sudden moves. Instead, turn your wheel gradually against the direction of the spin while simultaneously releasing the gas pedal. Do not brake! The ideal here is to straighten out the wheels and then hold them there until you can regain traction. Only then should you gradually apply the brake or gas, as appropriate.

While nothing can remove the risk of hydroplaning altogether, a few simple preventative measures will help keep your car from hydroplaning.

Proper tire pressure will optimise tire traction. Similarly, tire treads should always be kept in good condition, since balding tires can significantly reduce your existing traction, and thus increase the risk of hydroplaning.

When driving on wet surfaces, leave yourself and other cars more space. Avoid sudden changes in speed or direction, and allow yourself more space to adjust to unexpected changes in speed or direction by other drivers. Always approach standing water on the road straight-on, never at an angle: as this will make it considerably easier to regain control should it be lost. Above all, reduce your speed. The greater your speed, the lower your existing traction, and thus the higher the risk of hydroplaning.

I was lucky, in that I had been driving at city speeds, I hadn't been trying to change direction, and additionally I was driving a standard transmission. Especially I was lucky that there happened to be no traffic around or against me. I geared down, pumped the brakes slowly and repeatedly, kept going in the lane I was already in: and in time the inertia slowed me to the point that the tires caught the pavement once again and I was able to stop well on the other side of the light. I breathed a sigh of relief, and then I continued on my way ... much more cautiously.

Learn more about this author, Tenebris.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Driver safety: How to drive through a hydroplane?
We want to hear your view. Write now!