Thanks for the advice and the positive feedback. I agree, my 1st reaction should not have been to press on the brakes, but I didn't slam on them either. The car was out of my lane almost immediately, basically once it went sideways I was out of my lane and thats when I counter-steered and pressed on the brakes. To give an idea of how fast it happened...the car was over 45 degrees sideways as I left lane 3 to get into lane 2. The only smart thing I did was let off the brake as I was entering lane 1 where it started straightening out.

Thanks for agreeing that 80-90 when it rains isn't completely unheard of. But like I said earlier, it just happened so fast, I don't think it would've been humanly possible to keep it the same lane. The car went sideways so quick.

Thank you!!!
Agreed, brake was wrong thing to do. Learn how to drive...I ended up forward 2 lanes over not in a ditch, so I did something right. Not perfect driving but not bad either.

 

and if you would have ran someone off the road and killed them... still good? not to bad of driving ? if your not smart enough to drive slower in the rain esp if there is standing water on the road please dont drive ...i would be ashamed to post about it much less tell anyone if my car changed lanes period in the rain

 

well, live and learn, as a teen I crashed my car a few times, learned the hard way when not to hit the brakes. in my twenties I started driving slower after each year passed. Now? i drive 55 on the highways always. jk. but glad you didnt get hurt. hyrdoplaning is scary.

 

I don't see it necessary for you to write insulting my intelligence. It was obviously a bad choice on my part. I admitted that. The point of this thread was to find out what exactly caused it.

Thanks for your feedback

 

SpecialNeeds....exactly! thanks

 

first thing you would have learned about driving on wet roads in hpde would have been to find the dry line. iow driving in your lane would have put you in ruts and standing water. Driving out of the ruts, lets say a foot or two off center would likely put one set of wheels on the hump and dryer line, but also with dripped oil on it.

since you were blowing the speed limit anyway you might as well blown off the stay in your lane law and driven on a dryer line. since that line likely has oil on it ... not so smart either.

 

It's your driving, not the car.

 

Speed limit is 70 for the record. Regardless even going 70 with rainy conditions you can still get a ticket, I believe.

Delongedoug...yes I was going too fast. But like other guys have mentioned, they've done it before in autocross or the highway. Yes I was going too fast. But If I was in a heavier car, I don't think that would've happened.

Who knows though. Everyone is okay. I've learned from this and hopefully others reading it will learn from it too.

 

ya I think he got lucky doing that manuever. awd+acd saved him that time.

 

Try going to a large empty parking space, or a open dirt track. Set some visual markers or get some cones and start learning the limits of your car in wet and dry conditions. Usually modulating
The gas pedal not brake, will move car out of the corner with more control. Take up SCCA or a rally club! But I believe everyone should know the limits of their car.

P.S. It'd friggen fun!

N

 

^ when I have time next season, I will. Thanks for the advice

 

I agree
Understanding your vehicle is best, but it is also hard to in all types of conditions.

hydroplaining occurs because the tires don't have the ability to push the water out of the way based on vehicle speed or volume of water so the tires ride on top of it like a surf board. In this condition throttle on/off brake etc will have less of a reaction because the car's balance (acceleration) is relatively even.... allowing the vehicle to decel under its own friction etc. is best to regain traction

In the case of that lotus, he was accelerating putting more down force on the rear wheels for traction, he snaps off the throttle and some of that force % will transfer up front causing the light rear end to overstear.

Classes teaching on/off throttle, driving dynamics and vehicle loading is very informative and educational for FWD, RWD and AWD applications specifically, I highly rec. these classes to driving enthusiasts.

In general, you should always be smooth in your motions, steering, braking, throttle will upset the car the least.

 

What size tires are you running? Hydroplaning is rather difficult to do, and usually comes to having bad condition tires or just very poorely designed tires. Also, check your tires pressure. Too much or too little can effect how well the water removal passages on your tires work, so you may unintentional be lowering the efficiency of your tires.

 

Glad your ok dude. Haven't seen you in a long time.

 

The Lotus video is irrelevant. They drive VERY differently than our cars. Mid engine, rwd is totally different than AWD. I own a MRS and if you try to save a spin on a MRS it's totally different than say a RWD car or a AWD.