Detection of wet road conditions in the new generation of the 911

Wet roads dominate the traffic accident statistics, well above all other weather-related factors. Apart from speed-induced hydroplaning situations, drivers tend to underestimate the effect of a wet pavement on braking distance or overall vehicle stability.With the Porsche Wet Mode, the new generation of the 911 introduces a driver assistance system, designed to flag the road condition up to the driver, along with offering a stability setup for wet pavements.The detection of the road condition relies on acoustic sensors attached to the wheel arch liners of the front axle. When driving over a water film, the sound of the road noise and the impact of the spray dispersed by the tires triggers the acoustic sensors and urges preconditioning of the chassis control systems. When the situation persists or the spray intensity increases, the instrument cluster suggests to the driver to activate a special drive mode, which facilitates driving on wet pavements.