Aquaplaning - don’t lose your grip

We now face the season of heavy rain, gusty winds and falling leaves, all the conditions according to mytyres.co.uk – part of Europe’s leading online tyre retailer Delticom - that can quickly turn a normal road or motorway into a hazardous skidpan. When water collects on a road surface the possibility of aquaplaning increases dramatically. Aquaplaning is when a cushion of water builds up between the tyre and the road surface. The result is a loss of steering control which could lead to an accident.
 
To help prevent aquaplaning, having adequate tread depth and tyre pressures are crucial. The law requires a minimum of 1.6mm of tread, however, experts recommend that to be on the safe side winter tyres, for instance, should have a minimum tread depth of 4mm (summer tyres should have a minimum tread depth of at least 3mm) – taking into consideration the advice to change tyres seasonally. The greater the tread depth, the less likely it is that the driver will experience aquaplaning. In addition, the tyre pressure should be correct and set at the level indicated in the owner’s handbook. If aquaplaning does occur, the advice is to stay calm, come off the accelerator and don’t touch the brakes or try to turn the steering. As speed decreases, the tyres will start to bite through the film of water to the road surface and control can be regained.
 
Mytyres.co.uk has a wide range of competitively priced tyres and one of the largest offers of winter tyres available via the internet, in fact more than 100 different tyre brands and over 25,000 tyre types. The online retailer has a network of more than 1,700 service partners in the UK who will provide a quality fully fitted service as well as expert tyre fitting and advice.