5 Tips on what to do in case of aquaplaning

Frits Pieper
10 October 2022

It is raining heavily and the road seems a bit slippery. Still, you don't want to drive too slowly, because you have an important appointment planned that you don't want to be late for. You were already running late, so you decide to drive a bit faster. Suddenly you feel that you no longer have any grip on the road. Oh dear! You are dealing with aquaplaning. What exactly does aquaplaning entail and what should you do in the event of aquaplaning? And can you prevent aquaplaning in the future? Read on quickly to find out.

What is aquaplaning?

When it rains, a layer of water forms on the road. Normally, the tread of your tires can channel or ‘squeeze’ the water away, which ensures that your tires stay in contact with the road. However, if you drive too fast, or if the tread depth of your tires is not deep enough, the water cannot escape and a layer of water will form under the tires. This makes you drive on water, so to speak, and the car becomes uncontrollable. This condition is known as aquaplaning.

Example of aquaplaning

If it rains heavily and you drive at about 100 km/h, each tire has to move 4 liters of water per second. And that while each piece of the tire only has contact with the road for 0,02 seconds. In that very short time, all the water would have to be drained to maintain contact with the road. This is almost impossible, which is why aquaplaning occurs.

What should you do in case of aquaplaning?

Do you find yourself in a situation where you no longer have a grip on your car and the road? Below you can read what to do in the event of aquaplaning:

  1. Stay calm
    First of all, it is important not to panic. You will eventually regain traction when your car reaches a spot where there is less water on the road.
  2. Take your foot off the gas
    When you are aquaplaning, the best thing to do is to reduce your speed by carefully easing off the gas. Do not try to reduce your speed by suddenly braking hard, otherwise you will lose control of the steering wheel completely.
  3. Hands on the wheel
    If you feel yourself losing contact with the road, keep your hands firmly on the steering wheel and try to steer carefully and look in the direction of where you want to go.
  4. Steer with the direction of the slip
    If you notice that you have really skidded, steer in the direction of the skid until you feel that you are regaining traction, then immediately steer in the opposite direction. This will allow you to drive straight again.
  5. Use the link
    A final tip on what to do when aquaplaning is to depress the clutch. This will ensure that the wheels do not just roll or brake suddenly. Release the clutch when you are no longer experiencing aquaplaning.

what to do in case of aquaplaning

Can you prevent aquaplaning?

Yes, aquaplaning can be prevented by taking a number of measures, namely:

Choose good, not fat tires with the correct tread depth

You can drastically reduce the risk of aquaplaning by choosing good tires. With the correct tyres you should be able to prevent aquaplaning up to a speed of 100 km/h. When choosing tires, it is especially important that the tires are not too thick. With thinner tires, the chance of aquaplaning is smaller, because they 'cut' through the water more.

Furthermore, it is very important that the tires under your car have the correct tread depth. The deeper the tread, the more water the tires can handle and the less chance of aquaplaning. If you notice that the tires of your car only have a tread of 3 mm or lower, we recommend replacing the tires. For winter tires, 4 mm depth is the wear limit.

Adapt your driving style to the weather conditions

You can also prevent aquaplaning by driving carefully. It is especially important to safe to drive in autumn en Winter, because there is more rainfall. So what should you do in wet weather conditions to prevent aquaplaning? Reduce your speed and create a bit more distance from the car in front of you. By driving slower, your tires can handle more water and the chance of aquaplaning is reduced. And if something does go wrong, the extra distance you have created gives you more space and time to get your car under control again.

Check tire pressure regularly

Finally, it is important to regularly check whether the tire pressure of your tires is correct. With the correct tire pressure, there is less surface area of ​​the tire that is in contact with the road. The weight of the car is also distributed over a smaller surface area. This reduces the chance of aquaplaning.


Have you ever experienced aquaplaning? I'm curious about your experiences! 

2 comments

  1. Jeoffrey Beckers on November 28, 2016 at 18:05 PM

    Great tips! Always scary when you get aquaplaning!

  2. Yvonne on November 30, 2016 at 08:28 PM

    Handy article with good tips for when it might happen. Fortunately I have never experienced it myself!

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