What To Do If You Hydroplane

 

 
When a car hydroplanes the most important thing to remember is not to panic. First, do not brake or accelerate suddenly. Since hydroplaning is a loss of traction to the front tires sudden braking slows the front tires but locks the rear tires which can cause a spin out. Also sudden acceleration could pull the vehicle straight ahead which could be dangerous if the vehicle is pointed toward the edge of the roadway.

What you should do depends on 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, you should 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 then look for open space and plan to travel in that direction. Ease off the accelerator and steer toward the open space you have identified.

It’s also important not to have the cruise control engaged in heavy rain due to a sudden acceleration problem. The vehicle will recognize the build up of water as a slow down and ask for more power. This may casue the car to shift to a lower gear and build even more water under the tires.

You can avoid hydroplaning by making sure the tread on your tires is thick enough and by slowing down. One way to check your tread is to place a penny upside down in your tread. If Lincoln’s head is hidden then your tread is thick enough. If it doesn’t hide Lincoln’s head then your tread is too thin and you need new tires. When it comes to speed on a wet road, slow down by about one third of what you would normally drive.


Customer Reviews

Defensivedriving.com has a ShopperApproved rating of 4.6 based on 130101 ratings and reviews.

Rene Alfaro None, united states
So easy to navigate
Isaac Pesina None, united states
Great. Experience
Reisa Wallace None, united states
Easy
Frederick Bright None, united states
good
Robert Ruffin JR TX, united states
Love the website
Jeremy United States
Easy and quick
scott TX, United States
It was so easy I thought I was missing sompthing.
William Parizek None, united states
Super easy to navigate.
walker bruce None, united states
It was so easy!
christopher suzow united states
very easy to access and follow
Randall Fields Texas, united states
not bad
Augustine Batoon None, united states
Easy
Andres Alegria None, united states
Good.
Joe Thompson None, united states
easy to use
Eddie Gonzalez Texas, united states
It was simple. Thank you for that.
Alhafiz Abdalla TX, united states
I like it
Marion Wynn Texas, united states
My experience been with DefensiveDriving.com as a consumer has been great.
Julian Hartley TX, united states
The registration process is fast and easy.
Robert Eddings None, united states
I WILL LEARN MY LESONS ABOUT DRIVING .
Sheldon Phillips None, united states
Simple sign up process.
Aaron Stadelmaier None, united states
Good
Jonathan Torres None, united states
It was really good, really recommend it
Edward Barrera None, united states
Everything’s been pretty cleared and straightforward
william laupus jr None, united states
easy
Jarelyn Garcia None, united states
Good
See all reviews on shopperApproved.com
Why DefensiveDriving.com
  • 20 Years in Business
  • Over 2 Million Customers Served
  • Highest Possible Better Business Bureau Rating
  • Award Winning Course