What is Hydroplaning?

Hydroplaning – What is it?

Hydroplaning occurs when your wheels lose traction and start riding on a layer of water.

The grooves of your tires disperse water from beneath the tire, providing high friction and traction even when the roadway is wet. When tires cannot remove water fast enough, they will start riding on the water, like a surfboard or water skis.

At speeds up to 35 mph, tires with good tread will wipe the road surface the way a windshield wiper cleans the windshield. As speed increases, the risk of hydroplaning increases. The risk of aquaplaning also increases with the amount of water on the highway and the vehicle’s sensitivity to water depth. At 50 – 60 mph, the tires may lose all contact with the pavement.

If you take the written test for your permit or driver’s license, remember that worn or bald tires will hydroplane at lower speeds!

In other words, worn or bald tires increase the risk of hydroplaning.

What Loss of Friction Mean

When your tires lose all contact with the pavement, you cannot brake, accelerate or turn. Your vehicle will slide until it collides with an obstacle or slows enough that one or more tires contact the road again and regain traction.

How to Prevent Hydroplaning

First, always make sure your tires are in good condition. As a tire wears, its tread grooves become shallower, reducing the amount of water channeled through it. Check tire tread on a regular basis. Place a penny into several tread grooves across your tire. If the tread covers part of Lincoln’s head, you have more than 4/32 inches of tread depth remaining. If not, it is time to get new tires.

Do this well before the tread depth reaches 1/16 (2/32), the legal limit in most states.

It also helps to keep your tires properly inflated. Check pressure at least once a month. Under-inflated tires hydroplane more often.

If you encounter water on the road, slow down. Don’t drive through standing water or puddles at high speed.

In short:

• Check tire depth.
• Check tire pressure.
• Slow down.
• Avoid standing water, if possible.

More Things to Remember About Hydroplaning

Many people believe that water must be deep to cause hydroplaning. This is not true. Even a thin film of water can cause problems if you drive too fast or your tires are in bad shape.

When your vehicle hydroplanes and has lost all traction, you cannot control it until it has slowed down and regained traction. Ease off the accelerator and remain calm. Overreacting and trying to steer may put the car into a skid. If braking is unavoidable, do so smoothly and wait until tires grab the pavement. Be prepared for instability and a possible skid.

Try not to panic. Tires will eventually come into contact with the pavement again.