spun out of control on the highway

[infurno]

Spun out of control on the highway at ~70 mph.

It was raining, the road was wet. I was going straight, driving in a bit of a steep angle on my way home. Speed was already dropping as 5th gear could not maintain speed. 2 cars directly behind me, 3 more about to pass on the left.

I'm going straight up and suddenly, out of nowhere my car swerves to the left, tail swings out, and i'm spinning on the highway. It was so fluid, felt like someone gently pushed me on ice.

I fell into the grassy median, car still spinning in circles. Tried to orient myself, to restore traction. My greatest concern was to stay out of the oncoming traffic lanes. I was thinking to myself "I cant believe this is happening, I did nothing wrong"

The car finally came to a stop about 2ft away from the oncoming traffic lanes. Tracks of torn up ground behind the car. I was ok.

Some people stopped to help out, trucks and suvs came to my aid. Inspected the damage, nothing. Nobody touched me. I drove away, someone followed me and we inspected damage on a parking lot.

My gas tank is beat up, some metal torn off from under the rear end bottom of the car. No flat tires, front end looked like it was in good condition except for some grass stuck to the spoiler. Will examine damage closer tomorrow.

The car is probably in better condition then me. I mean.. I'm an experienced driver, and I have had my share of close calls but nothing like this. There was a good chance of the car flipping. Given everything that could of gone wrong, I should be in a hospital, that or possibly even dead. Still shaken up, I can't get it all off my mind. Keep going over what happened.

I think it is my damn fault. My drivers side front tire was in bad shape and I was too cheap to get it replaced.

My tire must of had something to do with it... Car must of got hit with some wind, that or drove over a puddle. When the front end lost traction on the wet road, game over. Hydroplaned the rest of the way.

I learned my lesson.

[Sixdown]

Certainly glad you're ok!

A lot of people forget that tires are the ONLY thing between you and your car, and the ground. Keeping 'em inflated and having good tread on four identical tires gives you the best safety and assurance. I've dealt with the same thing before, although not in the middle of a highway, out of my own ignorance. Gotta watch what brand of tire you get.

Tires like General, Federal, and such unknown brand are not as well developed at the factory than other brands like Michelin where they have the technology to develop much more advanced tires.

I like to buy tires that have recently been released for sale.

A lot of it is common sense too.

[SC David]

Bad tires will do that to you. I had a close call like that a few weeks after getting my new car, in similar conditions, while exiting a freeway and taking my time driving smoothly. Out of nowhere I found myself directly sideways, not because of too much throttle, too much brakes, but just because of a slight misbalance as I was taking the turn. I was able to correct it, but it shook me up since it came out of no where. I know how you feel, except your experience sounds much more severe. I didn't realize it until I stopped and looked, but my rear tires were balding on the insides worse than I had thought they were. Replaced the suckers the next day, and the car drove much more confidently in the same stormy weather.

Take it as a blessing in disguise. Get some new tires on there, take care of anything that got damaged, and drive carefully

[bmwrp8]

glad to here your ok and nothing bad happened to you. Never go cheap on tires your life depends on it..

[Tiger]

I agree with most General Tires are not that good, except General Exclaim UHP... this tire is awesome summer tire. Between myself and one friend, we have three sets. I would buy one more set but I have to finish my tire first.

[Tiger]

Glad you are okay... I know shaken but okay. If you don't mind, I'd like to know what suspension replacement parts you have changed on your car: front and rear. What brand of tire/model and depth left on those tires... penny gauge is enough.

This topic brings out that post where I have told people to check their tire and suspension parts as I keep hearing these spinouts... yours is probably the first I hear on rain, but most other is dry weather spinout.

[Ross]

Probably not the response you are looking for infurno but the phrase "Too fast for conditions" comes to mind. We've all been there.

[Frzninvt]

Sounds to me like the car hydroplaned on the surface of the water, you need good tires to displace the water otherwise you see what happens.

[Ferret]

Tyres and brakes are the only bits of the car I'll seriously overspend on given the choice... I've had too many close calls with them otherwise.

Just last year with my TDs tourer I nearly got hit by four cars doing agressive starts onto a roundabout after I spun it out in the wet.

Got it home and had a look at the tyres, only to have my hand cut to shreds on this, we all **** up but man I should have seen this one coming:


These were chinese surprise tyres and by god did they surprise when the turbo started singing - it was entirely possible to powerslide round a wet roundabout without really meaning to and go too far...

This was the same year I tried out £17 halfords front brake pads too, a good year for FerretLearning (tm) - a bad year for confidence.

I'm paranoid about my rear tyres now, and the instant they hit the warning strips they get changed.

[Russell]

Check tire rack. They have some reports that indicate tires get dangerous on wet roads and ice even with more tread than US regs state (2/32s) is safe. 4/32s is really marginal for rainly conditions.