Toyota Fortuner Aquaplanes On Wet Road, Takes Down Electric Pole [Video]

Recently, we came across a video on the internet showing a Skoda Kushaq SUV attempting to overtake on a wet road, losing control, skidding off the road, and crashing into a pond filled with water. This video is a good example of why driving during the monsoon is risky and why one must always be alert and drive cautiously during this season. Here we have another incident where a Toyota Fortuner that was overtaking a bus on a wet road lost control and crashed into an electric pole. The reason the Fortuner and the Kushaq lost control was due to aquaplaning. Aquaplaning? What is that? How does it cause accidents? Let’s find out.

Car accident at Kannur
byu/Giwargis_Sahada inKerala

The video, on several social media platforms. It was recorded in a CCTV camera installed on the roadside. We clearly see that it is raining and the road surface is wet. There are very less number of vehicles on the road due to rain. Towards the end of the video, we see a Toyota Fortuner trying to overtake a bus. The SUV lost control while trying to do so and crashed into an electric pole on the side of the road.

The SUV was being driven at high speed and upon impact, the SUV broke the electric pole and went ahead. The rear of the SUV is damaged severely in this crash along with other body panels.

What Happened Here?

As seen in the video, the Fortuner was being driven at high speed on a wet road. High speeds and wet roads are not a good combination. The chances of a vehicle losing control or aquaplaning are very high in such situations. It looks like the driver turned the steering wheel, but the car did not respond to the driver’s inputs in a timely manner. As you can see, the car lost control when the driver was trying to get back to his lane after overtaking the bus.

Aquaplaning

What is aquaplaning? Aquaplaning happens when a thin layer of water forms between the tire and the road. The treads on the tires are designed to push water away from the tire when the car is in motion, ensuring that the tire is always in contact with the road. However, when you increase the speed of the vehicle, the amount of water that comes in contact with the tires increases, and the treads do not have enough time to push it out.

You don’t have to hit a puddle of water to experience this. It can happen on a wet road too. When this occurs, the car stops responding to steering inputs as the tire is no longer in contact with the road. This is what happened in this case.

What to Do?

The first thing to do while driving on wet roads is to maintain a safe speed and avoid driving fast or recklessly. Aquaplaning is directly related to the speed of the vehicle. The chances of aquaplaning increase as the speed of the vehicle goes up.

If you ever find yourself in such a situation, simply lift your foot off the accelerator pedal. Do not panic and steer the car left and right as it would make no difference.

Once the speed decreases, you’ll notice that the steering is responding, and you can continue driving the car as usual. Also, do not apply sudden brakes as it can easily cause you to lose control of the vehicle.

Also check the condition of the tyres on your car before monsoon. If the tyres are not in good condition, the chances of losing grip of wet road increases and this also leads to aquaplaning.