What Causes Hydroplaning?

Hydroplaning or aquaplaning is the technical term for the phenomenon of tyres sliding or skidding on a wet surface. The construction of Tyres Smethwick allows water to collect on their surface. When there is too much water on the road and the tyres are unable to drive the vehicle, hydroplaning occurs.

When you drive on dry roads after a light rain, or on wet roads, you may notice that your car's tyres are abruptly veering away. You find yourself unable to control the steering as the tyres lose traction. We refer to it as hydroplaning.

Wet roads have the potential to hydroplane. There are occasions when one questions how well the tyres disperse water.  As a result of the pressure applied in front of the wheel, the water is driven beneath the tyre. As a result, the tyre becomes separated from the road by a thin layer of water that accumulates on its surface. The automobile now loses traction and control at this moment.

While hydroplaning and aquaplaning can happen on any kind of wet surface, the first ten minutes after a light rainstorm are considered to be the most dangerous.

During this time, the residual oil on the road surface combines with the precipitation to produce a slick surface. On this terrain, vehicles hydroplane all the time, especially those travelling at 55 to 60 kph. Such events have the potential to be very harmful and perhaps deadly.

What You Can Do To Avoid Hydroplaning

Treatment is never better than prevention. While it's possible that you won't always be able to prevent hydroplaning, the following tips may help you avoid it:

Cruise control is a really useful feature. With it, the driver may choose a pace that the car will stick to on its own without needing any further input from them. On the other hand, using cruise control while driving in the rain is not recommended. Rainy driving is hazardous, and in order to lessen the likelihood of hydroplaning, the motorist must continuously check their speed.

Tyre pressure: In order to maintain the performance of the car or bike and to avoid hydroplaning, it is essential to check the tyre pressure on a regular basis. Low tyre pressure inhibits the treads' ability to have a solid grip on the pavement, which keeps the water from spreading evenly. This increases the chance of the automobile hydroplaning.

Tyre Treads: To keep snow or water away from the tyres, tyre treads are used. It's not meant to provide support. If the tyres' treads are worn out, there's a greater chance of hydroplaning since the water will be difficult for them to move.

Never Tailgate: Doing so is dangerous, particularly while it's pouring. The practice of following another car too closely on the road is known as tailgating. Hydroplanes might not stay in one place for very long, but following another car raises the risk of a fatal collision. When driving, it is generally advisable to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles.

Tyre Balancing: It's essential to keep up regular tyre checks and to align your tyres at specific times. Every 11,000 to 16,000 km, or after every oil change, the wheels need to be balanced and rotated.

Slowing Down: Hydroplaning often occurs when an automobile is moving at an average speed of 55 to 60 kmph. It is usually better to drive more slowly when it starts to rain. If you drive slower than the posted speed limit, you'll be safer. It will be more difficult for your tyres to drive the water away if you are travelling swiftly. Steer clear of abrupt accelerations as they raise the possibility of hydroplaning.

Selecting the appropriate tyres: Selecting the appropriate tyres might help avoid a lot of incidents. It's advisable to spend a little bit extra on premium tyres. Using bare tyres while driving is not advised. In countries where there is a lot of rain, drivers can choose tyres designed especially for for slick surfaces.

Steer clear of gathered water: Crossing standing water increases the chance of hydroplaning. Try to stay away from standing water on the road if you can, but if you can't, you should drive very slowly.

Observing the cars ahead of you: You may get a sense of the condition of the roads by seeing how they drive. The presence of a lot of water coming out of the car's tyres indicates that there is water buildup in the lane. The best course of action in these situations is to slow down and, if possible, shift lanes.

What You Can Do To Prevent Hydroplaning:

The following are some things to consider and how to fix the problem if your automobile starts to hydroplane:

 Keeping your cool is essential to recovery. Because hydroplanes only last a short while, staying calm will help you prevent mishaps.

Give up moving so swiftly. Additionally, it will help shift the weight to the front of your automobile gradually so you can regain control.

Do not apply the brakes suddenly. Applying too much pressure during braking puts you the danger of locking your wheels, which will make the car skid and completely lose control.

If your car has a manual transmission, let it slow down on its own by depressing the clutch.

 By following these easy steps, you can reduce the likelihood that your Winter Tyres Smethwick may hydroplane and make sure you can get out of such situations unscathed.