OMFG Aquaplaning on the M4

Blackporsche · 22 Sep 2015

Terrifying event on the way home which I was sure at best would result in a written off 996 or at worst death!
Hit a sudden really heavy patch of standing water on the M4. Backend broke away and I am suddenly sliding at 45degrees to the central reservation. I didn't brake or accelerate approaching the water but I guess maybe I had backed of a bit and might have been decelerating. Anyway I remained composed. Didn't touch brakes or accelerator and just gentle turned into the slide. Caught it brill. Car flicks. I'm not facing the central reservation now. Oh ***** now I am facing the hard shoulder. Luckily I knew there were no cars to my side but I knew some were close behind. I remain composed and turn into the slide again. Caught it. Car flicks. Brilliant. I'm back facing the central reservation. Is this going to go on all evening?! I turn into the slide again. Luckily the tyres grip and we are back straight again. This was across two lanes and all opposite blue lights on the opposite where there has already been an accident. I check my mirror. Unsurprisingly the cars which were behind me seem to be further away now unsurprisingly. I am sure to those behind it looked like a shimmy from a dancer on strictly but to me it felt like I was giving Tiff Needell a run for his money on power slides. Of course I now think I must be amazing to get out of that in one piece but I'll be making sure I don't get in that pickle in the first place again. Time for a carrera 4? Be careful out there C2 drivers!

Chief · 22 Sep 2015

A brilliantly described butt clenching moment there me ol c@ck!
Sounds like a great save. Also, you might want to look at writing the odd article for the Readers Digest :grin:

Kimbo · 22 Sep 2015

Gee wizz, glad you're okay. Must have been horrible. Try and forget about it but watch out in future. You're safe - that's all that matters.

Now go and have a large Gin.

Blackporsche · 22 Sep 2015

Thanks. Ooo gin. There's an idea. That or a nice calming Laphroig!

Graemep · 22 Sep 2015

Had similar on the M6 near Carlisle at the beginning of the year, when I hit a patch of fresh snow at 80ish - so I know first hand how that would have felt today. Well done for catching it!!

That was in a 997 Turbo, so I wouldn't be too quick on changing based on today, as it felt like the weight of the engine taking over and some opposite lock one way, then the other was needed.

tbrown · 22 Sep 2015

Blackporsche said:
Time for a carrera 4?

Sadly I did the same thing last year in my C4 on M4 near J13.
Standing water spun me into the central reservation.
When the Police turned up they informed me of 5 other
cars that did the same on that stretch of M4!! :dont know:
You are not alone.

mrgrey · 22 Sep 2015

Interesting that this has come up as I was thinking about aqua planning in 911s the other day.
I'm no expert in this but you think wide tyres would be better in the wet but do those really wide rear tyres become surfboards on surface water? I guess someone has done some research and reached a conclusion. So do 2CVs perform better in such situation OK an extreme example but you get what I mean.

I think I recall an F1 driver asking for the safety car to slow down in very wet Grand Prix a few years ago, anybody remember that?

Well done Blackporsche for keeping it on the road, perhaps a following car had a camera fitted you'll be on You Tube.

Don't think 4 X4 will help though.

DRZ911 · 22 Sep 2015

Blackporsche said:
Time for a carrera 4? Be careful out there C2 drivers!

Have hit standing water a few times in my 4S. Dash lights up like a Christmas tree as the stability systems try to pull the car straight. :sad:

Depending on the depth of the water, have found that the only way to get through without soiling my pants, is to be doing less than 50mph. This is assuming that I have some awareness of the standing water being there in the first place.

Robertb · 22 Sep 2015

Scary stories. You've inspired me to bring forward my new front tyres purchase! The econo-miser in me was hoping to squeeze another 1k miles out of them, but perhaps a false economy.

Mind you, the rain in the Thames Valley this evening was biblical.

Saw a C4 sitting in a field a while ago with the owner standing forlornly next to it, having travelled through a hedge in heavy rain. Off a straight, fast stretch of road...

Blackporsche · 23 Sep 2015

great responses. thanks all. So I will stick the the C2 based on these stories ( I would never have gone for a 4 in reality

Loving the 2CV comment. I'd rather risk death thanks haha
Yes definitely make sure your tyres are in good fettle coming into Autumn. I have P Zero's all round. The fronts only in last 500 miles and the rears not far behind that.
Oh and as for driving at 50mph!! I'll have to think about that one :?

ragpicker · 23 Sep 2015

Aquaplaning is one of the most terrifying things isn't it?

Before I realised that I had a similar experience in an e46 m3 several years ago.

I was heading ooop north from a weekend working in London and it was about 1am on the M1 around Leeds. I had made it down from Middlesbrough to Oxford St in 2hrs 40mins a couple of days before and was trying to do the same on the way back.

Anyway, at well into 3 figures on an empty motorway with very little lighting in torrential rain I hit what could only be described as a lake. I was in the inside lane (which probably saved my life) and without turning the steering wheel or backing off the throttle I was across the middle lane, across the outside lane, and about a foot off the central reservation with my life before my eyes before there was traction again and the car settled down.

I was in a cold sweat and slowed right down for the next 5 minutes before continuing at a more moderate pace.

This event has stayed with me ever since. I no longer push on ever in the rain on a public road and often even tell the wife to slow down if I see standing water when she's driving, which usually causes great derision, but she has never seen what I've seen...

Alex · 23 Sep 2015

I was driving back from the South of France in my CLK cab 2 years ago, fully loaded up with GF, dog & luggage. Hit what can only be described as a lake at around 75mph and had the exact same experience. Car snaked down the road for what felt like about 20 seconds, heading for central barrier, then hard shoulder, then back again, etc. I reckon it must have been over about 200 yards. My life flashed before me and I thought - at best, I've written the car off. The only thing that saved me was the rumble-strip on the hard shoulder. When my tyres hit that, they managed to hold the car straight whilst I quickly slowed down to 40mph for the next 10 minutes.
Coming back this year, I must say - I was touching cloth, knowing that I had the famous surf kings - Michelin PS on the rears with under a millimetre from the wear limiter. Hit a mahoosive thunder storm near Paris but no aqua-planing. Got back into Blighty and had a couple of 'nudges' on the M25 hitting water, but nothing serious.

On a lighter note - my son has just called me to tell me he's stuffed his MX-5 into someone on his way to work, due to putting his shades on and them steaming up. Least he's ok, apart from a dented pride.

Blackporsche · 23 Sep 2015

I've had a couple of E46's and you have to be careful in them especially if you have a torquey engine version. The 996 untl last night has been one of the most planted cars I have driven. Even in poor weather. Maybe I was lulled into a false sense of security. One of the safest cars I had was a BMW 840. It was so heavy nothing was going to dislodge it. You couldnt even feel the puddles as you went through.
Re the MX-5 I hope he is ok but I did chortle a little. Youngsters hey!

wasz · 23 Sep 2015

Anything with wide tyres and fairly lightweight is going to be a handful in big puddles.

The tyre has to be able to clear the water under it - the wider the tyre the bigger the contact patch (and smaller the downward force per square inch) so its harder for it to clear the water.

So yes hitting the same puddle at 70mph in a 2cv on narrow tyres might not result in aquaplaning.

You might note that winter tyres have wider block spacing to clear more water and the OE winter tyre option will be narrower than summer for the same car.

Alex · 23 Sep 2015

Can a 2CV do 70? :?

OMFG Aquaplaning on the M4

Blackporsche

Monza

Chief

Singapore

Kimbo

Paul Ricard

Blackporsche

Monza

Graemep

Nurburgring

tbrown

Paul Ricard

mrgrey

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Robertb

Yas Marina

Blackporsche

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ragpicker

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Alex

Nordschleife

Blackporsche

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wasz

Paul Ricard

Alex

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