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Aquaplaning is a nightmare for drivers. Heavy rain can create a layer of water between the road and a car’s 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’t notice until it’s 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’s actual movement and stores a value that represents “normality”. 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.