Contrary to what some may believe, when it rains, the road gets wet. And, when the road gets wet, it is slippery. Ta Da!
Pretty simple stuff, aye? That said, reader Diane Estes is peeved at the lack of knowledge, or the ignoring of said fact by area drivers.
‘I’ve been hit twice, rear-ended. I want something written about hydroplaning,? she said. ‘I am angry. I am mad.?
Even if she hadn’t told me what she was feeling, by the tone of her voice and the speed of her tongue, I could tell she was whizzed-off.
So the story goes. A few Wednesdays ago, it rained. Diane was on her way to a funeral home. The car in front of her stopped. She stopped, the car behind her stopped, but the skidding only ended when her car was rearended.
‘It’s not fair. I stopped in time. I made a promise and I couldn’t keep it because of that accident,? an exasperated Diane explained.
She’s still recovering from her first rear-ending, which ‘messed up? seven disks in her back. The latest accident pushed back her recovery. She has to receive cortisone shots and, ‘I can’t even work in my garden.?
It’s not fair, she believes, because it (hydroplaning) is ‘so preventable.?
What is hydroplaning, you ask? It’s when your car starts acting like a boat — floating on water versus terra firma. And, while it is fun to watch Miss Budweiser hydroplane on the Detroit River, it is quite another story when a car hydroplanes over the road. I guess that’s why a car is a car and a boat is not.
You don’t want anything to come between your rubber and the road. But can it be stopped?
Ever the skeptic (is hydroplaning as avoidable as Diane believes or not?) I called the folks at AAA Michigan. They put me in contact with one Mr. Richard Miller. Dick manages AAA’s Community Safety Service. Dick’s credentials are solid. He’s been with AAA for five years. Prior to that, he was a state trooper for 27 years and spent 11 of those as the Post Commander in Flat Rock. But enough on the wonderfulness of Dick, this is after all Diane’s column about hydroplaning.
Basically, Dick said, hydroplaning sucks because, ‘Once you’re in it (a hydroplaning situation), it’s difficult to get out.?
His advice: Avoid getting into a hydroplaning situation.
But how do you avoid hydroplaning? Young drivers read on.
One: Make sure your vehicle (no matter if it’s a four-wheel drive monster or a puny hybrid) has good treads. These days, Dick says, all manufacturers produce good all-weather tires that do a good job of channelling water out from under the tires.
Two: Don’t let your tires wear down — make sure that tire tread has good depth. Rotate your tires, dangit!
Three: Keep your tires properly inflated. Over or under-inflated tires will impact your hydroplaning experience.
As is true for most of life, knowledge here is also power. Dick shared this factoid: The first few minutes of a rain are the slipperiest. Why? Cuz any oil that has been dripped onto the road mixes with the rain making it more slippery. As the rain continues, the oily mix is washed away (into the lake).
Cruise control — not a good idea to use during inclement weather (rain, snow or fog), Dick says. So, use common sense and keep your cruise control off during a storm.
If the highway gods are not smiling favorably upon you and you find your car floating uncomfortably down the road, with no control, there’s not much you can do, Dick says, except wait it out. Don’t turn your steering wheel and don’t break.
Take your foot off the gas pedal and ride it out (hydroplaning usually only lasts between one and three seconds).
If you brake or steer, when your rubber hits the road and regains traction, your vehicle will lurch. Not safe.
So there you go, area drivers. Pay attention to the weather, the road, your tires, other folks driving. Be safe. Live long. Read lots. Thanks to AAA, Mr. Miller for the information (I hope you all heed it) and thanks to Diane for calling in the first place. I truly hope she’s feeling better.
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