One of the most frightening feelings someone can experience while driving happens when they start hydroplaning. As a Seattle auto accident lawyer, I have grown up my whole life driving in the rain, but that doesn't make me, or anyone else that grew up in rainy conditions, immune to hydroplaning. In my experience as a Lynnwood personal injury lawyer, some of the worst car accidents I have seen were the result of someone losing control of their car due to wet conditions. These accidents can lead to serious injury, but there are ways to cut down on the risk of it happening to you by following a few simple rules.

Reducing the risk: A car hydroplanes when the tires lose grip on the road, and slid on top of the water that is covering it. One of the top reasons for this happening is because of the speed of the vehicle. When you drive at high speeds on wet roads, it is essentially the same as driving on ice. The faster the car is going, the more water buildup there is in the tread of the tire. At a certain point, the weight of the car cannot keep traction on the road, and the car is only touching water. Another common cause of hydroplaning is immediately slamming on the brakes. This oftentimes will cause skidding with no control over the direction of the vehicle. To prevent this from happening, it is important to always keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead so there is time to gently ease on the brake.

Along with your driving decisions, the quality of your tires is very important in preventing hydroplaning. If your tires are worn down, they will lack the tread necessary to disperse water away from your car. The air pressure of your tires, along with the tread depth and pattern play a large role in driving safely in rainy conditions.

What to do if your vehicle hydroplanes: While the steps above play a large role in reducing the risk of hydroplaning, it is important to know what to do if you do happen to lose control of your vehicle in wet conditions. It is not always easy to know if you are hydroplaning, but when it is serious, you will be able to quickly recognize the fact that you have no control over where your car is going. When this happens, the two most important things to not do are slam on the brakes and turn the steering wheel. Doing either or both of these can force your car to skid, and turn sideways. Instead, hold onto your steering wheel tightly, and ease off of the accelerator. Initially hold the steering wheel to go straight-forward, but if you feel your back tires hydroplaning to one side, you should turn into the skid to try and regain traction. If your car has anti-lock brakes, you can brake normally to stop the car, but if it does not, lightly pump the brake instead.

Following these rules can help you avoid hydroplaning, but there are many people on the road that do not know how to drive in wet conditions. If you are hit by someone who was hydroplaning, you should speak with an experienced Issaquah car accident lawyer to discuss your legal options.