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Spring Driving Refresher: Hydroplaning

Car on wet streets
Photo: iStock

After our crazy winter, spring seems to be a little later this year.

As the rain falls…and falls and falls, we thought it might be a good time for a spring refresher on hydroplaning!

As we wrote last year in our When April Showers Bring Hydroplaning post:

 

Hydroplaning is the skidding that can occur when your car tires come into contact with a wet surface. When the grooves in your tire can't sufficiently scatter the water on the road, your tires lose traction on the thin film of water between them and the asphalt. When you hydroplane, you temporarily lose braking and steering control, making it dangerous for you and anyone else on the road.

Any wet surface can cause hydroplaning, but when are roads the most slippery? The most perilous time is during the first 10 minutes of a light rain, when the water mixes with oil residue on the road, creating extra slippery conditions.

Check out the rest of the post for hydroplane avoidance tips - or watch this video from ABC News which demonstrates how to avoid hydroplaning and what to do if your car starts to slide on the road: 

Have you hydroplaned in this wet spring weather? Have any tips to share? Leave them in the comments!

- Rose R.

 

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