You are driving a passenger car during a heavy rain. Which of the following actions should you take after driving into a rut filled with water?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
A. Smoothly decrease the speed.
Explanation
When you drive into a rut filled with water in heavy rain, you reduce speed smoothly by taking your foot off the accelerator - answer A. Braking hard (B) or accelerating hard (C) on a layer of water can cause a skid and make the car spin.
In a rut with water the wheels lose contact with the asphalt and the vehicle starts to float - this is aquaplaning. Any sudden change in the force on the wheels, braking or accelerating, means that when the tyres get grip again, the car will jerk in an unpredictable direction. You keep the steering wheel straight, release the accelerator and let the car lose speed until the wheels are back on the road surface. You prevent this earlier: you drive more slowly, avoid ruts and make sure the tyre tread is deep enough.
Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 1 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)