Aquaplaning is a nightmare for drivers. Heavy rain can create a layer of water between the road and a car鈥檚 tyres, deep enough to rob the tyres of their grip and make the brakes useless so that the car skims along. Often the driver doesn鈥檛 notice until it鈥檚 too late. But car maker DaimlerChrysler has come up with a way of giving drivers early warning of aquaplaning (W0 02/46008). The system continually checks engine speed against the vehicle鈥檚 actual movement and stores a value that represents 鈥渘ormality鈥. Any sudden deviation from this value could mean a loss of traction due to aquaplaning. A sound warns the driver to ease back on acceleration because the brakes may no longer be working.
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