Here are seven life hacks to driving in wet weather, and why it’s vital you check the tread depth of your tyres to reduce the risk of aquaplaning.

WITH SEVERE WEATHER lashing NSW over the last 24 hours, it’s timely that UK company TyreSafe has released a video on the dangers of aquaplaning. Just about all of us at one time or another will have aquaplaned, but what does it mean and what’s the cause?

Well, the main cause is usually down to low tyre tread depth and either shallow standing water or patches of streaming water across roads, which results in the vehicle momentarily losing contact with the road. It can be frightening with no amount of driver input able to correct the vehicle’s line of travel.

The potential for aquaplaning isn’t restricted to tyres with low tread depth, but it’s more likely due to the tyre’s inability to shed water from the contact patch (which is only one palm per tyre); an increase in the water pressure sees the tyre lift up on top of the water…

Our friends at Tyroola sent us this infographic offering 7 lifehacks for driving in wet weather.

In Australia, the minimum legal tread depth is 1.5mm across the face of the tyre but you’ll want to replace your tyres before they get to that and while all tyres have tread wear indicators one of the easiest ways to check your tyre tread depth is with a 10c coin.

Simply take a 10c coin and place it into the main tread grooves of your tyre. If the outside band of the coin is obscured when you’ve put it into the tread, then you’ve got enough tread left and your tyre is above the minimum legal limit. If, however, the outer band is visible then your tread is dangerously low and your tyres should be replaced immediately.

Watch the TyreSafe video here – yes, it’s a UK video, but it’s just as applicable here: