Spring is here and hopefully to stay! Although we might all be excited that we don’t have to see snow again for a while, that doesn’t mean every day is going to be sunshine and blue skies. We all know spring brings rain showers, and that’s why in this week’s blog we are talking about hydroplaning. Hydroplaning is a frightening thing to happen when you’re on the road, and some drivers might not know what to do in that situation. In fact, some drivers might not even know what hydroplaning is.

So, let me break it down for you. Hydroplaning is commonly used to refer to the skidding or sliding of a car’s tires across a wet surface. This is most common when you’re driving in rain or flooded streets.  The result is a loss of steering, braking, and power control. Many people believe hydroplaning is most likely to occur during heavy rain, but the truth is, the first 10 minutes if a light rain can be the most dangerous. When light rain mixes with oil residue on the road surface, it creates slippery conditions that can cause a vehicle, especially those going over 30 mph, to hydroplane.

So how can you avoid hydroplaning? Well, we have a couple of helpful tips below!

1. Keep your tires properly inflated
2. Rotate and replace tires when necessary
3. Slow down when roads are wet: the faster you drive, the harder it is for your tires to scatter the water
4. Stay away from puddles and standing water
5. Avoid driving in outer lanes where water tends to accumulate
6. Try to drive in the tire tracks left by the cars in front of you
7. Turn off cruise control
8. Drive in a lower gear
9. Avoid hard braking
10. Try not to make sharp or quick turns