Safe driving and emergencies
Your vehicle starts to hydroplane on a wet freeway. What should you do?
- Slow down gradually and do not use the brakes. Correct answer
- Brake firmly to regain traction.
- Accelerate slightly to push the water out from under the tires.
Why
Hydroplaning means the tires are riding on a film of water and have lost all contact with the road. At that moment the vehicle will not respond normally, and a sudden input, a slight change of direction, a stab at the brakes or even a gust of wind, can throw it into a skid. The handbook's answer is to slow down gradually and stay off the brakes until the tires touch pavement again. Braking hard is the reflex that causes the loss of control, and accelerating only keeps the tires planing. To avoid it in the first place: drive slowly in the rain, steer around standing water when you can, and slow down when you hear the tires sloshing or before changing lanes or direction.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is Slow down gradually and do not use the brakes.
The rule behind this one
Safe driving and emergencies in California goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on safe driving and emergencies
- You must drive through heavy fog. Which lights should you use?
- A child is under 2 years old, weighs less than 40 pounds, and is shorter than 3 feet 4 inches. How must the child ride in your vehicle?
- A front tire blows out while you are driving at highway speed. What should you do?
- You are 17 and hold a provisional license. When may you use a cell phone while driving?