What steps should you take if your car starts to hydroplane?

No one wants to find themselves on the highway doing 50-60mph then suddenly be hydroplaning out of control. Hydroplaning occurs when your tires start riding on top of the water on the road rather than the road’s surface. When your vehicle starts to hydroplane, you can quickly find yourself with no control.

At those speeds, being out of control in a vehicle of any size is terrifying and dangerous. In the following article, we’ll go through some tips to prevent hydroplaning and also what to do if you start hydroplaning.

5 Tips to Avoid Hydroplaning

  1. Reduce Your Speed – Most experts agree that hydroplaning most commonly occurs above 35mph. If it’s raining or wet, then reduce your speed. Avoid suddenly increasing your speed to pass other cars and take your time when it’s raining or wet out.
  2. Rotate and Balance Your Tires – Your tires are keeping your vehicle on the road. Regularly checking your tires, balancing them, and rotating them should be a regular part of your vehicle maintenance.
  3. Buy High-Quality Tires – If you frequently drive and live somewhere where it rains a lot, then invest in good tires. Investing in high-quality tires is never a bad investment, regardless of where you live.
  4. Avoid Cruise Control In The Rain – We know cruise control is great, but when it’s wet or raining then, switch it off. Having cruise control enabled when your vehicle starts to hydroplane is adding valuable seconds to the recovery process.
  5. Avoid Large Pools of Water – As fun as it is to drive through a big puddle, avoid it, if possible, on the highway. Big pools of water on the road significantly increase the chances of hydroplaning in your vehicle.

4 Tips For Hydroplane Recovery

  1. Get off the Accelerator – As soon as you notice your vehicle start to hydroplane, lift off the gas. Don’t slam on the breaks. If you apply heavy breaking while you’re hydroplaning, you risk sliding off the road out of control. The last thing you want to do is crash because you slammed on your brakes for no reason.
  2. Gently Turn into the Slide – It can feel counterintuitive, but experts recommend turning the wheel the same way you’re sliding. It helps to realign your tires with your direction of travel and gain control of the steering.
  3. Wait for the Tires to Regain Traction – You’ll immediately notice when you regain traction with the road. It can be a scary second, but avoid overreacting, swerving, or braking excessively. Once your tires make contact with the road surface below the water, you’ll be able to correct your steering.
  4. Take Your Time – No one’s going to blame you for taking a minute to recover after hydroplaning. As soon as it’s safe to do so, pull off the highway and take a few minutes to compose yourself before resuming your journey.

Your Towing And Roadside Assistant Experts

Keeping your vehicle under control during a hydroplane can be highly challenging, but hopefully, now you have a much clearer idea about what to do.

If you have an accident after hydroplaning and require a tow truck, don’t hesitate to call us at Mountain Recovery. Our experienced operators have the knowledge and equipment to tow your vehicle safely.

If you have been involved in any automotive accident in Eagle County or Summit County, Colorado, Mountain Recovery is only a phone call away at 970-476-1124. We operate 24/7, 365-days a year, to keep you trucking and help get your vehicle back on the road.