CarsDriving in the Rain: What to Check on Your Car and How to Stay Safer
A practical guide to preparing your car for rain, adapting speed and following distance, and acting cautiously around puddles, reduced visibility and tunnels.
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Aquaplaning
A loss of effective tire contact with the road when a layer of water prevents the tire from making normal contact with the surface.
Reviewed 05.10.2026 · Version 2 · Scope: General
How to interpret it
Water displacement and driving conditions play a part in the phenomenon. This explains the risk; it is not a maneuver instruction or a universal calculation of a safe speed.
Example
In a hypothetical situation involving pooled water, having electronic assistance systems does not mean the tire can always maintain contact with the road surface.
Why it matters to you
It helps explain a grip-related hazard and why the conditions of any tire test matter.
Common points of confusion
It is not synonymous with every skid on a wet road. There is also no universal speed that rules it out for all tires and surfaces.
Documentary sources
Circular bajo la lluvia Dirección General de Tráfico · 2026-10-05
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