Aquaplaning is a common issue in the UK, considering we have an average of 156.2 days of rainfall every year. Aquaplaning causes you to lose control of your vehicle and puts you in danger of being involved in a collision. 

What is aquaplaning? 

Aquaplaning happens when a layer of water is allowed to build up between a vehicles tyres and the surface of the road beneath. Therefore the tyres cannot grip to the road and causes a lack of traction which means the driver loses control and is unable to steer, brake or accelerate. This is also known as hydroplaning. 

This can be caused by heavy rainfall building up on a road’s surface or by pools of water where there are holes or ruts in the road. This could also be made worse by two other factors – the condition of a vehicle’s tyres and the speed that the vehicle is travelling. 

How do you know if your car is aquaplaning? 

When driving on a wet road you might hear your engine suddenly become louder, feel the steering become light, experience the back end of the car drifting from side to side and feel like you’ve dropped the clutch down the gears while driving at speed, causing the revs to increase.