Heavy rain leads to dramatic accidents: aquaplaning on motorways!

Heavy rain leads to dramatic accidents: aquaplaning on motorways!

In the night from Wednesday to Friday, there were several traffic accidents on the A6 and A7 motorways between Wolpertshausen and Aalen due to heavy rain. These weather conditions resulted in dangerous situations caused by aquaplaning. Aquaplaning is an often underestimated risk that not only affects old vehicles, but can also affect modern cars with ESP or all-wheel drive RND shows.

In Wolpertshausen, a 34-year-old Mercedes driver lost control of his vehicle on the A6 in the direction of Heilbronn around 9:18 p.m. and collided sideways with a 64-year-old Ford driver. The material damage caused amounts to 15,000 euros. Just an hour later, a similar incident occurred in Aalen, where a 24-year-old Mazda driver also lost control of his vehicle on the A7 in the direction of Ulm around 10 p.m. He crashed into a mobile home that was being driven by a 52-year-old driver. This collision resulted in material damage of 80,000 euros and a temporary closure of the motorway for 1.5 hours.

Causes and dangers of aquaplaning

Aquaplaning occurs when a closed layer of water forms on the road that the tires can no longer displace. Promomobil explains that in such a condition the vehicle loses contact with the road, resulting in loss of control. The dangers are particularly evident on motorways and country roads at higher speeds.

Drivers should act proactively in heavy rain: reduce speed and pay attention to warning signs. Particular caution is required on bridges, curves and rutted roads. RND points out that the best precautions against aquaplaning are sufficient tire tread depth and a calm driving style. If there are signs of aquaplaning, drivers should first release the accelerator pedal and brake gently before steering.

More incidents and accidents

There was also an incident in Ellwangen in which an unknown road user damaged a VW in a parking lot at the vocational school center between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and then fled. The property damage amounted to 1,000 euros. A 60-year-old Peugeot driver had previously ignored the right of way of a 51-year-old Opel driver in Michelfeld on Wednesday evening around 8:15 p.m., which resulted in material damage amounting to 5,000 euros.

The accidents of the past few days once again illustrate the dangers of aquaplaning, which not only causes significant damage to property but can also lead to personal injury. It is therefore essential for drivers to be aware of the dangers and drive with appropriate caution.