Wet Road, Worn Tyres and a Child on the Shoulder
You are driving a small front-wheel-drive hatchback on a wet two-lane road outside town. The speed limit is 70 km/h, and you are travelling at 65 km/h. Your front tyres have about 2 mm of tread, close to the legal minimum. Rain has been falling for an hour. Ahead, the road curves downhill to the right and passes under a bridge where water has pooled across both lanes. A loaded truck is 25 metres ahead, spraying water. On the left shoulder, a pedestrian holding an umbrella is walking with traffic, and a child is following a few steps behind. Your wipers are on full speed. The steering feels slightly light as you pass through a shallow puddle, and the dashboard shows no warning lights. You have just overtaken a slower car and are still in the left lane.
1. Identify the hazards and explain how they interact.
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The hazards are not separate events. Standing water under the bridge, 2 mm tread and 65 km/h together create a high aquaplaning risk; the light steering in the shallow puddle is an early warning that the front tyres are already losing contact. The downhill right curve makes braking less effective and loads the outside tyres. The truck's spray cuts visibility and hides the water depth. The pedestrian and child on the left shoulder are walking with traffic, so they may not see you, and the child may move unpredictably. Rain and full-speed wipers add workload. The interaction matters: if you brake hard in the water, the front wheels can lock or lose grip; if you stay close to the truck, you cannot see the pool in time.
2. Give the sequence of actions before, during and after the flooded section.
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Before: ease off the accelerator, reduce speed smoothly to a walking-pace crawl for the water, increase the gap to the truck to at least four seconds, and move to the lane with the shallowest water only after checking mirrors. Do not overtake the truck near the bridge. During: hold the wheel steady with both hands, keep a constant light throttle, and avoid braking or steering sharply; if the steering goes light, ease off the accelerator and let the car slow naturally. After: dry the brakes with light applications once clear, check the mirrors, and resume speed gradually. If the engine stalls in deep water, do not restart it; get out and seek help. The reasoning is to separate speed reduction from the water so the tyres are not asked to brake and steer at the same time.
3. How should you treat the pedestrian and child on the left shoulder?
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They are vulnerable and on your side of the road, walking with traffic, so their backs may be to you and the child may not understand the danger. Slow before you reach them, give as much lateral clearance as the lane allows, and be ready to stop if the child steps out. Do not sound a long horn at close range, because it may startle them into the road. Reduce spray by slowing, and do not pass close at 65 km/h. If an oncoming vehicle forces you toward them, wait behind rather than squeeze through. A child near a wet road can change direction without warning, so your speed must leave room to stop.