How do you stop aquaplaning? Putting Uniroyal’s RainSport 5 to the test

Can a specific tyre prevent aquaplaning? We took a trip to a Slovenian ‘kick plate’ with Uniroyal to find out.

Aquaplaning. It's a terrifying experience: you're driving along, and suddenly your car feels like it's floating, the steering wheel light and unresponsive. This phenomenon occurs when a layer of water builds up between your tyres and the road surface, causing a loss of traction. It can strike without warning, turning a calm journey into a dangerous situation. But how can aquaplaning be stopped?

Well, we went to the AMZS Safe Driving Centre near the town of Vransko — not far from Ljubljana — to find out. However, it was not the ‘City of Dragons’ which took centre stage out on track, but some shark-marked tyres: the Uniroyal RainSport 5.

A tale of two cars

Arriving trackside, we were presented with the two cars which we would be taking for a spin. Or perhaps not, if you catch our drift…

First up, a true market stalwart: the trusty Vauxhall Astra. Specifically, the automatic model, front-wheel drive as standard, with its Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) cranked up to 100% to lend a hand.

And sat behind this traditional option, lurked something a little more unorthodox: the all-electric Cupra Born. Although a compact automatic like the Astra, the Born was immediately framed as a different challenge altogether. Not only would the shift to rear-wheel drive keep us on our toes as we put the RainSport 5 through its paces, but the Cupra would have its ESP reduced to 30%. 

Phase 1: a wet track

And then, it was time to find out what we’d be doing with these cars.

We were led over to a sodden portion of track, with a flat blue and yellow entry area on the ground to mark its entrance. But this wasn’t just any old platform; it was a hydraulic ‘kick plate’ designed to push our vehicles sideways as we entered the wet zone, simulating the loss of traction when hydroplaning.

During phase one of the test we ran on this pre-dampened track, approaching the plate at 30 mph, where we’d be greeted with either a small or a large kick in either direction, and no warning as to which would come. This was backed up with some hard truths around aquaplaning: that often in reality ‘you never know when it’s going to happen’, and by the time you do, ‘it’s too late’.

That doesn’t mean you are powerless to prevent it though. Each time the start light went green and we’d cruise towards the shallow lake ahead, we’d brace for the kick and prepare to control the car using only the steering wheel. This meant releasing the accelerator, staying clear of the brake (unless a spin became inevitable) while reacting as quickly as we could with our hands. In short, the technique was to lift off the pedals and let the tyres do the work.

This is where the RainSport 5 can do its thing. Featuring Shark Skin Technology (yes, genuinely inspired by how sharks cut through water) and wide tread grooves, Uniroyal’s wet weather master quickly disperses water to reducing the risk of aquaplaning.

As we rotated between the car models, the tyre’s sheer grip — and the kick plate’s best attempts to turn the vehicles’ fronts into their rears — could be felt in a visceral sense as traction was regained in at various angles, despite the conditions. The Astra was difficult to control, and the minimally assisted Cupra was snappy, but we can confirm: no brakes were applied, no spins were had, and everything was kept facing right where we wanted it. But, it turned out the test had only just begun.

Phase 2: an even wetter track

What happens if the tarmac is simply too wet, and the onset of aquaplaning is truly unavoidable? It was time for us to find out.

With the flick of a switch in the trackside control centre, fountains throughout the wet zone flooded the area with running water, simulating a sudden downpour. And our task? Much of the same, but now extra important to be fast with the steering wheel and to not drive through the fountains. Oh, and if you begin to spin, aways look in the direction of travel, to help keep the front wheels facing in that same direction, giving you the best chance of saving it.

Hitting the plate now felt a split second of ice driving, especially in the Cupra where the lack of ESP had become ever so apparent. But this stripped back setup allowed for a real sense of how the car — and more importantly the tyres — interacted with the road. After the sideways shunt, followed by the infamously light steering as we turned the wheels towards the end of the track, the feeling of the RainSport 5’s Aqua-Twist sipes clearing the water from beneath was tangible. This meant, coupled with some speedy reactions, grip was still regained despite the slippery conditions, the rear end fell back in line, and our 100% no spin record was maintained.

So, how do you combat that unnerving sensation of aquaplaning? Our experience revealed that it's an interplay between driver technique and the right tyre. By lifting off the pedals and using precise steering corrections, we saw first-hand how the Uniroyal RainSport 5 can disperse water and keep things going in the right direction.