Your vehicle starts to hydroplane. What does the manual tell you to do?
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A.
Slow down gradually and do not use the brakes. Correct
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B.
Firmly press the brakes to regain traction.
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C.
Steer sharply to break the film of water.
The answer is "Slow down gradually and do not use the brakes."
Hydroplaning recovery is a gradual slowdown with no brake input, because sudden braking may cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Choice B borrows the four-wheel ABS locked-wheel-skid instruction to press firmly on the brake pedal, which the manual reserves for that skid on solid pavement rather than for tires that have lost all contact with the road.
The traps in the wrong answers
B. Firmly press the brakes to regain traction.
Sudden braking during hydroplaning is what the manual warns will throw the vehicle into a skid and cause loss of control. This answer borrows the four-wheel ABS locked-wheel-skid instruction to apply firm pressure on the brake pedal, which the manual reserves for that skid on solid pavement, not for tires that have lost all contact with the road.
C. Steer sharply to break the film of water.
The manual names a slight change of direction as one of the actions that can throw a hydroplaning vehicle into a skid, so a sharp steering input is the opposite of the recovery. This answer treats the tire as still touching the road and able to cut through standing water, when the manual defines hydroplaning as the tires losing all contact with the road.
This question tests your knowledge of Adverse Conditions in California. Source: California Driver Manual, "Hydroplaning," p.62..
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