Hydroplaning safety tips on slick roadways
With water gathering on the roadways from the heavy rains, sometimes hydroplaning is unavoidable. But experts say there are ways to lower your chances.
Hydroplaning happens when water builds up on the road and comes between your tires and the pavement, causing you to lose control.
If you’ve ever hydroplaned, you know the scary feeling when you no longer have control of your car. PC Driving School Instructor Rosalie Asanon, says first try to stay calm and DON’T slam on the brakes.
“Take your foot off the gas, and don’t slam the brake. Try to regain the steering to the direction you were going, and then once you get back on pavement press the brake very slowly. Just definitely don’t slam the brake that’s the main thing,” says Asanon.
The faster you are going, Asanon says, the more likely you are to experience hydroplaning.
And while we’ve seen incidents here on the Central Coast with this round of rain, there are some ways to help prevent that from happening.
Asanon says you want to make sure your tires have enough tread on them, one way to do that; the penny test.
“Put the top of the head upside down into your tire, the less of the head you can see the better. But if you can see the space between the top of the penny and the head then you don’t have enough tread, you need new tires,” says Asanon.
She says following the tire tracks of the car in front of you can also help, since they’ve paved a way before you. But also remember give yourself plenty of space between that car in case they come to a sudden stop.
