Pontiac Sunbird Owner's Manual page 142

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous.
So much
water can build up under your tires that
they can actually ride on the water. This
can happen if the road is wet enough
and you're going fast enough. When
your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little
or no contact with the road.
You might not be aware of hydroplaning.
You could drive along for some time
without realizing your tires aren't in
constant contact with the road. You
could find out the hard way: when you
have to slow, turn, move out to pass-or
if you get hit by a gust of wind. You could
suddenly find yourself out of control.
Hydroplaning doesn't happen often. But
it can if your tires haven't much tread or
if the pressure in one or more is low. It
can happen if a lot of water is standing
on the road. If you can see reflections
from trees, telephone poles, or other
vehicles, and raindrops "dimple" the
water's surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher
speeds. There just isn't a hard and fast
rule about hydroplaning. The best
advice is to slow down when it is
raining, and be careful.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your headlights-not just your
parking lights-to help make you more
visible to others.
Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming
from behind. You may want to use
your headlights even in daytime if it's
raining hard.
Besides slowing down, allow some
extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to
have your view restricted by road
spray. If the road spray is so heavy you
are actually blinded, drop back. Don't
pass until conditions improve. Going
more slowly is better than having an
accident.
Use your defogger if it helps.
Have good tires with proper tread
depth. (See the I d e x under Rres.)
141