Blog 11-Hydroplaning

This weekend's wind and rain were especially heavy in Manoa, creating rather unfit driving conditions.  However, I ended up driving my family around because they felt I should practice driving in "unfortunate conditions."  Due to the amount of rain that accumulated on the streets, I had to drive more slowly in order to avoid the possibility of hydroplaning.  Hydroplaning occurs when there is a layer of water in between the road and a car's tires, causing a driver to lose control of his or her car and potentially end up in a hazardous situation.  In order to avoid such a situation, drivers need to take several physics concepts into consideration.

First, lack of friction is the cause of hydroplaning.  Thus, in order to help prevent hydroplaning, tire manufacturers added many grooves on the tires in order to try to disperse the water from under the tires, thus increasing surface area and giving the tire more friction with the road.  In the picture below, the water is being sprayed from under the car tires, which shows that the grooves in the tires must be working.  

Second, speed and acceleration of the car affect the likeliness of hydroplaning.  If a car is going 60 mph, accelerating, and there is a large puddle on the road, there is a higher possibility that the car will hydroplane than if the same car was driving at 20 mph and slowing down through the same puddle.

Although hydroplaning is unlikely to occur, it is best to take extra precautions during a heavy downpour.  Driving slowly and with extra caution will help a driver maintain control of his or her car.  In addition, as a driver, you should make sure your tires have the proper amount of air in them and make sure the tread of your tire is not worn.  These factors use physics concepts in order to prevent the hazardous situation of hydroplaning.