AQUAPLANING:

The danger while driving in the rain is not only sight but skidding while aquaplaning.

The difference in skidding and aquaplaning is :-

Skidding happens when the wheels are locked and the tyres loose its adhesion on the road and go in a skid. It can happen on the dry or wet roads. It's just an occasion where the tyres on the road give way and do not build any resistance anymore.

Aquaplaning is when the tyres are not on the road surface but riding on a thin sheet of water. The wheels do not have to be locked it could still be spinning but there will be no traction. The wheels would probably be spinning at the speed you are going before the experience of the aquaplaning.

In such circumstances, the normal reaction from many would be to brake or to completely lift off the accelerator with the desire to want to apply the brakes.

When such occasion does happen don't brake! Don't completely lift off. Hold on to your steering firmly and look ahead. Simultaneously just slightly lift off the accelerator so as when the tyres gain traction you would still be in motion without a skid. But at a reduced pace that you can steer control again.

If you are blinded or clouded with water at your screen, even with the wipers on, just rely on your memory of the pictures in front of you before you are temporarily blinded.

To determine what type of action you are going to take? - You wouldn't be, in the first case going at a speed where you know you would definitely go into aquaplaning - therefore the roads in front must be already clear and straight that you are now experiencing aquaplaning because of your higher pace than normal in the wet or your cars are shod with badly worn tyres.

Don't come to this situation in a fast bend or corners - you would surely go off-line and will be propelled off by the centrifugal force of your moving projectile.

All this you would experience - but what come out of that experience is the result - a crash or a valuable lesson learnt. No normal driving school teach you that only in the Advance and Safety Driving School.

Cheers and do drive with an alert mind in the rain.


the above article was contributed by
Simon Ong,
Instructor for SAMP Advance & Defensive Driving School