What do I do if my car is hydroplaning?

Have you ever felt like you skidded while driving on a wet surface? If so, you most likely experienced hydroplaning.

Hydroplaning is uncontrollable sliding on a wet surface. Basically your tires have lost their grip on the road and encountered more water than they can scatter. 

Hydroplaning occurs from a combination of standing water on the road, car speed and under inflated or worn tires. It can cause some very undesirable, and sometimes dangerous situations. You could lose control of your vehicle and your steering ability causing your vehicle to turn sideways, veer off into other lanes, or off the road completely. The first 10 minutes of a light rain can be the most dangerous time for hydroplaning. The light rain mixes with oil residue on the road surface and creates slippery conditions that can cause vehicles to hydroplane. Especially vehicles traveling over 35 miles per hour. 

How to handle your vehicle when hydroplaning:

1. Remain calm and slow down. Avoid the natural urge to slam on your brakes.
2. Use a light pumping action on the pedal if you need to brake. If you have anti-lock brakes, you can brake normally.
3. Once you've regained control of your car, take a minute or two to calm yourself down.

The following are important tips to avoid hydroplaning:

• Keep your tires properly inflated
• Rotate and replace tires when necessary
• Slow down when roads are wet: the faster you drive, the harder it is for your tires to scatter the water
• Stay away from puddles and standing water
• Avoid driving in outer lanes where water tends to accumulate
• Try to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you
• Turn off cruise control
• Drive in a lower gear
• Avoid hard braking
• Try not to make sharp or quick turns

The best defense against hydroplaning is to make sure you have good tires and to maintain them properly. Have your tire’s tread depth and air pressure checked on a regular basis as well as rotating them during each oil change.