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Difficulty: MediumWet Weather and Aquaplaning

You are travelling along a dual carriageway when standing water causes your steering to feel suddenly light and unresponsive. In which order should you carry out the following actions to safely regain vehicle control?

  1. 1Hold the steering wheel firmly and keep it straight along your line of travel.
  2. 2Gently ease your foot off the accelerator to allow the vehicle to slow down gradually.
  3. 3Allow the tyre treads to cut through the standing water and re-establish physical contact with the tarmac.
  4. 4Resume normal steering inputs and progressive acceleration once the steering weight returns.

Answer

The correct sequence begins with holding the steering wheel straight and steady, followed by smoothly easing off the accelerator, allowing tyre tread grooves to disperse surface water and restore road contact, and finally resuming normal steering and throttle inputs once steering feel returns.
When a vehicle aquaplanes, tyre tread can no longer disperse the volume of surface water, creating a wedge that lifts the tyres off the tarmac. The driver must first hold the steering wheel straight to prevent violent yaw upon regaining grip. Next, easing off the accelerator allows gradual speed reduction without wheel lockup. As velocity drops, tyre grooves disperse the water cushion and restore road contact. Finally, once the steering wheel regains its normal weight and responsiveness, standard driving controls can be safely resumed.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Maintain directional hold by gripping the steering wheel firmly without making sudden turns.
The front road wheels remain aligned with the vehicle's direction of travel.
If the front wheels are turned while aquaplaning, the vehicle will violently veer or skid the instant tyre grip returns.
2
Smoothly lift your foot off the accelerator pedal while avoiding the brake pedal.
The vehicle decelerates gradually through aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance.
Applying the brakes while tyres are riding on water will lock the wheels and cause an uncontrolled slide.
3
Wait as the lower road speed enables tyre tread patterns to channel surface water away.
The hydrodynamic wedge collapses and rubber makes direct contact with the road surface.
Aquaplaning ceases once forward velocity drops below the speed at which tyres can clear surface water.
4
Feel for the return of normal steering resistance and carefully continue your journey.
Full directional control and traction are safely re-established.
A noticeable increase in steering weight signals that tyre grip is back to normal.

Key Concept

Aquaplaning vehicle dynamics and step-by-step driver recovery procedure
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Wet Weather and Aquaplaning

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