When it's raining hard — how to keep the tires from losing contact with the road.
Hydroplaning (aquaplaning) happens when the tire can't push water aside fast enough. The car starts sliding on a wedge of water and grip disappears entirely. Most common: • Speed over 80 km/h • Water depth over about 4 mm • Worn tires (tread depth below 3 mm) • Deep wheel ruts that collect water
If you feel hydroplaning: • Ease off the gas: do NOT brake hard • Keep the wheel straight: no sudden turns • Wait until the tires regain contact (a few seconds) • Only then can you brake or steer normally
Winter and all-year tyres with many sipes lower the risk of hydroplaning compared with summer tyres. This is a preventive measure – choose the right tyres before you drive, not while driving. A rain sensor on newer cars automatically increases wiper speed in heavy rain, showing how intense the rain is – an observation tool, not a driving instruction. If rain intensifies: reduce your speed and increase the distance to the vehicle ahead. Lower speed reduces the risk of losing tyre contact with the road; a longer distance gives you more time to react if the road becomes slippery.
In heavy rain: reduce speed to 60–70 km/h even if the sign says 90, see the adapted speed lesson in Speed and distance. A hydroplane event at 90 km/h almost always ends in a skid or run-off.