Aquaplaning

Phil W · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:05

Whats the best way to deal with it?

Had my first non-deliberate encounter last night and i royally poo'd my pants.

Doing 60mph up a slight embanked road and hit some standing water in the middle of the road, i felt the steering pull and the car pulled towards the kerb.

I went to change it but "felt" like if i did, id crash. The back end got twitchy but luckily the car passed the water and i got grip again.

Whats the best way to deal with it? I tried to turn the opposite way to the way the car was heading, is that a bad idea?

Phil

Dashik · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:07

Avoid the problem in the first place maybe?

Harsh I know but maybe if you drive slower in poor conditions and look and plan ahead asking 'what if' then you wont have to deal with it in the first place?

Looking ahead at the road surface and thinking what if that shiney bit of road is a really deep patch of water........ Or a small river running down/across the road..

Morba · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:14

Dashik said:
Avoid the problem in the first place maybe?

Harsh I know but maybe if you drive slower in poor conditions and look and plan ahead asking 'what if' then you wont have to deal with it in the first place?

Looking ahead at the road surface and thinking what if that shiney bit of road is a really deep patch of water........ Or a small river running down/across the road..

it doesnt need to be deep or very running.

L0rdMike · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:15

If its on a straight road I just keep the wheel straight and it always bonces back into place.

Dashik · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:16

True, but how can you tell how deep it might be?

Matt82 · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:16

Dashik said:
Avoid the problem in the first place maybe?

Harsh I know but maybe if you drive slower in poor conditions and look and plan ahead asking 'what if' then you wont have to deal with it in the first place?

Looking ahead at the road surface and thinking what if that shiney bit of road is a really deep patch of water........ Or a small river running down/across the road..

that basically.

what tyres you got? most cars ive had have aquaplaned in a straight line.

on the way to bham in the golf the other day, the slip road off the m25 was basically a pool, at 60 odd mph. was a laugh. i feel better if i come back to a steady throttle before going in (ie not accellerating, not decellerating) just keep the car stable.... but then most people have digital throttles anyway

just drive slower

Dashik · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:18

Matt82 said:
that basically.

what tyres you got? most cars ive had have aquaplaned in a straight line.

on the way to bham in the golf the other day, the slip road off the m25 was basically a pool, at 60 odd mph. was a laugh. i feel better if i come back to a steady throttle before going in (ie not accellerating, not decellerating) just keep the car stable.... but then most people have digital throttles anyway

just drive slower

OMG!!!! Hang your head in shame!!!! You just agreed with an ADI!!!! :eek:

Matt82 · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:22

whats an ADI? what have i done?

Ste99 · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:23

I found a parked car that helped me to stop aquaplaning

L0rdMike · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:23

Ste99 said:
I found a parked car that helped me to stop aquaplaning

Funny

Dashik · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:24

Advanced Driving Instructor, You know the ones that teach people how to drive safely and progressivly according to the conditions as opposed to their opinions of their ability's or egos...

MrSix · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:26

I had this the other week in the torrential downpours we had, I just kept the wheel straight and the gas exactly where it was, no problemo - quite fun actually! That was at 70 with Michelin Sport Contact II's - a very nice tyre I might add.

Phil W · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:29

I've got Toyo Proxes T1-R.

I didn't see it sat in the road, just looked like any other road when it rains. It wasn't raining at the time.

L0rdMike · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:30

Phil W said:
I've got Toyo Proxes T1-R.

I didn't see it sat in the road, just looked like any other road when it rains. It wasn't raining at the time.

How wide are your tyres though?

The wider the tyre the easier it will do it.

Phil W · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:33

195/45/15, skinny things really considering the size of the car.

Well, they look skinny when you stand behind the car anyway!

Haze · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:39

if the car was pulling in one direction u wernt aqua planing.. if u had been it would have felt like going accross ice or fresh air lol

done it my nova once very odd feeling... not had it in the meggy tho

wez130 · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:52

Dashik said:
Advanced Driving Instructor, You know the ones that teach people how to drive safely and progressivly according to the conditions as opposed to their opinions of their ability's or egos...

@Dashik, off topic, but i'm interested in a ADI course, and could do with some advice about the course, can you add me to MSN (wez 'at' hotmail dot co dot uk), for some advice, would be appreciated muchly

though i'm not on right now - will be tomorrow. Thanks.

Ste99 · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:57

Bet it would lower your premium loads!

pok125 · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:57

Haze said:
if the car was pulling in one direction u wernt aqua planing.. if u had been it would have felt like going accross ice or fresh air lol

I think I know what he means, I've done this before, happens when theres a puddle at one side of the road and only one side of the car travels through it, ie the left side aqua planes and while the right side still has grip.

Dashik · 10 Jan 2007 at 22:58

wez130 said:
@Dashik, off topic, but i'm interested in a ADI course, and could do with some advice about the course, can you add me to MSN (wez 'at' hotmail dot co dot uk), for some advice, would be appreciated muchly though i'm not on right now - will be tomorrow. Thanks.

Better still if you can wait untill say friday evening or late saturday afternoon I'll call and share my experiances Good and Bad and give you some hopefully unbiased advice. Its a bit too complex to discuss via typing in MSN tbh.