There is a lot of rain in the summer, and therefore puddles. This is why Polish Tyre Industry Association reminds that not only snow or ice may cause sudden loss of grip. Also water, causes loss of contact between the tyre and the surface. Especially when it stays in the ruts and with high speed.
Aquaplaning occurs when your car tyres, instead of touching the road, drive over a layer of water (usually due to recent heavy rain or a water leak somewhere) and loose contact with the road surface. You can tell when this happens because your steering goes very light (it is one of those things that, when it happens to you, you will know it is happening instantly and is also associated with a drop in obvious road noise as the rubber on your tyres is no longer touching the tarmac, or road surface). This occurs very often when the treads in your tyres are too shallow.
The risk of aquaplaning is dependant not only on the amount of water on the road but also the speed of running into the puddle. Adjusting the speed to the weather conditions is pivotal not only for us, but for the rest of all road users.
– Many drivers are unaware of the danger which comes with aquaplaning. Driving in rain or just after it demands particular caution from all drivers. But also the quality and condition of tyres is important – says Piotr Sarnecki, Director General of PTIA.
Important factor is the tyres condition. Specially the depth of tread and the pressure in the tyres. The higher speed, shallowness of tread and lower pressure, the aquaplaning risk is higher.
– The information about the right pressure in wheels should be in car’s manual or on the bottom of middle post. The minimum depth of tread in Poland is 1,6 mm, but it is recommended to have tires with 3-4 mm tread. This is the minimum of reasonable depth. We will increase our chances to maintain the control of the car when driving into puddles – adds Piotr Sarnecki.
But what to do when we are aquaplaning? First of all, keep calm. Keep the steering wheel in the same position as it was before aquaplaning and take the leg of the accelerator to lose the speed gently. It is crucial to exit the skid, so the wheels must stay in the same position as they were before aquaplaning.
But if there is an obstacle in front of us, we should try to slam the brakes (when we have ABS) or try cadence braking (if we do not have ABS). When wheels restore the contact with the surface, they will break faster. But keep in mind, that the braking distance on the wet road is always longer than on the dry one.
Better safe than sorry, and therefore to avoid aquaplaning we recommend:
– to use tyres of good quality
– to maintain the proper pressure and to check depth of the tread
– adjust the velocity to the weather conditions
– maintain safe distance between vehicles.
Source: PTIA