Aquaplaning: How Your Tyres Prevent It and What to Do If It Happens

Aquaplaning occurs when a layer of water builds up between your tyres and the road. Here's how tyres are designed to prevent it and how to react if it happens.

Aquaplaning (also called hydroplaning) is one of the most dangerous situations in wet weather driving. It occurs when your tyres cannot channel water away fast enough, causing them to ride on a film of water and lose contact with the road surface.

How Tyres Prevent Aquaplaning

The tread pattern on your tyres is specifically designed to channel water away from the contact patch. Each tyre can move up to 30 litres of water per second at motorway speeds. As tread depth decreases, this ability diminishes rapidly.

A tyre with 1.6mm tread depth (the legal minimum) removes significantly less water than one with 4mm of tread — increasing aquaplaning risk dramatically in heavy rain.

Warning Signs of Aquaplaning

• Sudden loss of steering response
• Engine revs increase without forward acceleration
• The steering wheel feels unusually light
• Vehicle moves in a different direction to steering input

What to Do During Aquaplaning

1. 1Do not brake sharply
2. 2Ease off the accelerator gently
3. 3Hold the steering wheel straight
4. 4Allow the car to slow naturally until tyres regain contact
5. 5Apply gentle braking only once you feel grip return

Prevention

• Maintain adequate tyre tread depth (above 3mm)
• Reduce speed in heavy rain
• Avoid standing water where possible
• Keep tyre pressures at recommended levels