How to act in case of aquaplaning and tips to avoid it

A few months ago it happened to me. I entered a roundabout on a rainy day and lost control of my car. I simply felt how the rear of my saloon stubbornly tried to overtake the front, and I ended up spinning a full circle and facing the car towards the vehicles coming around the roundabout. Luckily, there was little traffic, and the car behind saw what was happening and braked before a disaster could occur. My car fell victim to aquaplaning and there was little I could do to avoid this situation.

This phenomenon can happen at any time, without us bearing any responsibility for it, and it can be disconcerting, dangerous and, above all, unexpected. Even so, you must keep a cool head and act immediately to regain control of the car as soon as possible and avoid greater damage from this brief but frightening incident.


Aquaplaning occurs when the tyre cannot drain the water beneath it and, as a consequence, the rubber loses contact with the asphalt. That is, quite literally, it floats on top of it. This means the driver cannot maintain control, and the car is carried along by the slight current the water creates beneath it. With no contact, there is no traction, and the car moves on its own, unable to keep the path it was following.

For that reason, the most important thing to avoid aquaplaning is to keep the tyres in good condition. Above all, the tread pattern, which must have adequate depth to reliably drain the water under the wheels. It is also important to reduce speed when it rains, to give the wheel time to clear the water.

How to act when aquaplaning occurs

But, as I said, aquaplaning sometimes happens without warning, and you must know how to act to minimise the problem. If aquaplaning occurs on the front wheels, you must avoid moving the steering wheel. The car will continue in a straight line, so if you turn the wheel there may be a sudden change of direction when grip is regained. Do not touch the brakes and release the accelerator is essential, although if there is a risk of collision, you must brake, always seeking to reduce the danger as much as possible.

When aquaplaning occurs on the rear wheels, it is somewhat more complicated. The rear can cause oversteer, as happened to me, and the loss of control is greater. It is important to turn the steering wheel in the same direction as the oversteer, which helps regain control. If you steer the opposite way, something that can happen if you act on instinct, the situation will worsen, so you must act thinking about what you are doing.

By helping the vehicle keep moving along the same path it was following when the aquaplaning started, control is regained more easily. The possibility of avoiding a collision already falls into the realm of luck, so you must act to regain control and, once that is done, act to avoid other problems.

Aquaplaning can appear at any time, so it is important to know what to do and, above all, when driving in the rain, you must reduce your speed, and if in doubt about whether the tyres are in good condition, you must stop, check their pressure and tread depth. If this is below 1.6 mm, do not wait to change the tyres. It is not about the fine you could receive, but about your safety.