VIDEO: Car hits standing water, ends up on its roof – slow down when it rains, and choose a car with ESC

Dun speeding and potong Q when raining. part 1

Posted by Mandy Geh on 20hb Mac 2017

Rain and water present an additional hazard to driving on public roads, due to reduced visibility and compromised grip. It is the latter which manifests itself in the video here, where the driver of an old Honda City appears to have lost control of the vehicle after hitting some standing water.

Some lessons to be learnt here: drive to the conditions of the road – slowing down for adverse weather gives the driver more time to react to urgent situations, and in this case slowing down could well have reduced the likelihood and effects of aquaplaning (when tyres lose contact with the road surface as they hit standing water at speed).

This appears to have been the case with the car depicted, where the occurrence seems to have jolted the driver into making sudden, evasive countermeasures – the driver may have added steering angle towards the right when grip was lost, and when the car’s tyres regained grip, the steering pitched the car acutely towards the kerb on the left.

Posted by CT Koay on 20hb Mac 2017

Here, the presence of electronic stability control (ESC) would have been invaluable, as the vehicle’s onboard computer would determine the best amount of individual wheel braking to apply in order to counteract the sudden spikes of understeer and/or oversteer. Absent from the older Honda City, the driver had no access to such assistance.

While there is no guarantee that the presence of ESC could have avoided the accident entirely, it would have, at the very least, minimised the effects of aquaplaning to give full control back to the driver sooner. A good set of tyres (preferably from reputable manufacturers) with healthy tread depth could contribute greatly towards avoiding such events too.

In short, always be aware of one’s surroundings, slow down when conditions take a turn for the worse, and when buying a new car, choose one with electronic stability control. It will help to catch a spiky situation before the driver gets caught out – with messy consequences, as the driver of the car in the video above found out the hard way.

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Mick Chan

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

 

Comments

  • Where was his braking effort? Bodoh selamba terus accident.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
  • I bet rm10 that his tyres were old n botak

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
    • Ramizan Ramlee on Mar 22, 2017 at 9:14 am

      and I think he floored it while hitting the puddle.

      I think only lah…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Tanjung on Mar 22, 2017 at 7:14 am

    No VSC. Full stop

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • The Bright Side on Mar 22, 2017 at 7:50 am

    I drive my father’s 2009 Persona, my sister’s 2010 Myvi and my brother’s 2012 Vios .. Non of them equipped with ESC..

    I drive on the same spot road that has water standing during raining, I can drive 100km/h Persona with confident.. At 90km/h, Vios already float on that spot and I need to slowdown the car until it reach 80km/h.. And the worst was Myvi, I need to slowdown until it reach to 70km/h to stabilize the car..

    I believe among those car, weight of the vehicle is important to intact your wheels on the road..

    However the car equipped with ESC is better to stabilize your car when its over or understeer..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 10
    • Smith on Mar 22, 2017 at 4:42 pm

      You’re driving too fast for that road. Moron. Please fade away.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • Bright side #driverbodoh

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • KLKia on Mar 23, 2017 at 8:26 pm

      Bodoh sial. Spoilt your own car. You think your car is motor boat ah. Try jumping yourself from the 100m cliff into the water & then you tell me whether you are ok.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • PenangKia on Mar 22, 2017 at 12:46 pm

    Every morning u can see ppl cut queue at this area (Farlim : front of All season).. They just drove fast , set the signal light n drove in. I have seen a Kancil turned turtle at the same spot. Sadly, no police was there to fine all those cutting queue.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Beast on Mar 22, 2017 at 2:26 pm

    Hope he got his Takata airbag replaced

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • KAN CHEONG on Mar 22, 2017 at 3:42 pm

    I ain’t see the brake light activated. So is not about d brake. When hit the water so happened need to turn right corner. So when the car float n make this turn, it lost all traction. I say none of the car able to overcome this in highspeed

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Polkiuj on Mar 22, 2017 at 6:06 pm

    Remember to put new tires at the rear. This is cause by having the newer tire in the front. Rear aquaplane then bang!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Plainbullshit on Mar 24, 2017 at 9:18 am

    No ESC can save this, it happened so quick that the driver unable to brake on time.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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