How to Avoid Hydroplaning in Wet or Icey Weather

The “contact patch” on a tire, aka the tread area contacting the road, is about the size of your palm. Anything that keeps your tires from being planted firmly on the roadway, even a thin film of water, makes controlling your vehicle more difficult. When traveling at high speeds, hydroplaning, where water keeps your tires from fully contacting the roadway, quickly results in increased stopping distance and loss of steering control because less friction will be generated due to less tire tread contacting the road surface.

Read along as experts in the field, including a defensive driving expert and automotive trainer, explain what causes hydroplaning and, more importantly, how to avoid it.

What Is Hydroplaning?

“Hydroplaning occurs when a tire collects more water than it can disperse, causing the tread to oversaturate, creating a water-on-water or hydroplaning event,” explains defensive driving expert Robert Dillman. While hydroplaning is caused by water on the roadway, vehicles can also “plane” on mud or snow that collects on the tread faster than the tire can remove it.

Why is hydroplaning dangerous?

Hydroplaning is dangerous because tires gliding on water rather than touching the roadway are similar to driving on ice. It greatly reduces your ability to steer, brake, or accelerate properly, making it extremely difficult to regain control of your car and increasing the chance of an accident.

Top Causes of Hydroplaning

Water on the roadway is the main cause of hydroplaning. Waterlogged roads create the perfect conditions for hydroplaning, especially when water levels rise above the tire tread, but this is not the only cause, other common causes include:

Oil on the roadway

Oil, other fluids, and grease leaking from cars can build up on the road surface after a few days of dry weather. The first few minutes of rain cause oil to sit on top of the water, resulting in a slick roadway surface, which can lead to higher chances of hydroplaning. “With minimal friction and chaotic steering control when hydroplaning, drivers try to overcorrect for loss of steerability, which can easily send a vehicle into a spin or off the roadway,” added Dillman.

Weather

“Driving too fast for the weather conditions,” said Dillman. Excess speed on wet roads reduces a tire’s ability to force water out of the tread area, increasing the threat of hydroplaning.

Worn Tires

Like speeding, low tire tread cannot effectively channel water out of the treads, allowing a thin layer of water to form between the tire and the road.

Underinflated or Overinflated Tires

Low or excessive tire pressure reduces the amount of tire tread contacting the road making it difficult for the tread to displace water from under your tires. This results in lost traction and steering control because tires are unable to grip the road properly.

Road Surfaces

Smooth roadways, due to worn-out asphalt, lack of texture, or poor drainage, retain water more easily, increasing the likelihood of hydroplaning.

Quick Maneuvering

On wet surfaces, “sudden turns, swerving away from a puddle or panic braking can cause a vehicle to hydroplane more quickly,” said Kye Grisham, Vice President of Procurement and Automotive Technology at Christian Brothers Automotive.

Cruise Control

Never use cruise control when it’s raining. Having the cruise control engaged during wet weather conditions makes it trickier to adjust speed when hydroplaning begins.

How to Prevent Hydroplaning While Driving

“Slow down,” said William Pemberton of the Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm. An old trick I was taught years ago was to follow in the tracks of the vehicle in front of me. Since that vehicle has already pushed water aside, the road surface in those tracks is usually less slick, reducing the risk of hydroplaning.

Grisham added, “Replace tires having tread measuring 4/32 in. or less.” Maintaining your tires by having them rotated, balanced, as well as the suspension and wheel alignment regularly checked, will extend the life of your tires while helping provide good grip, whatever the weather conditions.

What to Do If Your Car Starts Hydroplaning?

Don’t panic. Do not slam on the brakes or yank the steering wheel from side to side. That will only make matters worse. Instead, slowly ease your foot off the accelerator and steer the vehicle in the direction you want to go. This technique should allow the tires to regain traction, allowing you to gingerly slow down, regain control of your car, and continue driving.

FAQ

Does tire tread depth affect hydroplaning?

Absolutely. Tread depth and tire wear play a critical role in preventing hydroplaning. Tire tread grooves are designed to push water out from under the tire. While deeper treads channel water away quicker permitting tires to hold their grip on wet roads, worn treads struggle to disperse water, raising the danger of hydroplaning.

At what speed does hydroplaning usually happen?

Depends. According to Grisham and Pemberton, hydroplaning can happen at 35 MPH, with the likelihood of hydroplaning increasing as you drive faster. However, Dillman says, “hydroplaning is a totality of the circumstances between tread depth, water volume, and speed. This makes it difficult to accurately provide the speed at which hydroplaning occurs.” In other words, if the roadway is wet, slow down.

How much water causes hydroplaning?

Again, it depends. As little as one-tenth of an inch of water on the road surface may cause hydroplaning. Even tires with good tread depth on a vehicle traveling at 50 mph may have difficulty pushing water out from under the tires fast enough, leading to a loss of traction. Dillman added, “Hydroplaning can occur in a heavy morning dew if you have deeply worn, nearly bald tires.” Again, other factors, including driving habits, tire tread depth, road surface texture, and vehicle speed, all play a key role in determining when hydroplaning begins.

What cars are more prone to hydroplaning?

Certain types of vehicles are more prone to hydroplaning due to their design, weight, and tire characteristics. Here are some key factors that influence hydroplaning risks:

• Compact cars: Lighter cars exert less downward force pushing the tires onto the road. This makes it easier for water to get under the tires, lifting them off the road surface.
• Vehicles with wide tires: Tires with wide tread area tires tend to struggle to force water from under their tires, raising the threat of hydroplaning.
• SUVs and trucks: Taller vehicles having a higher center of gravity may become more erratic when hydroplaning begins.
• Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) vehicles: Weight distribution toward the rear of a vehicle results in less force and traction on the front tires causes RWD vehicle to be more vulnerable to hydroplaning.

Experts

• Kye Grisham has been in the auto service and maintenance industry for over 25 years and currently serves as Vice President of Procurement and Automotive Technology at Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation.
• William M. Pemberton graduated from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse in 2001 and Marquette University Law School in 2003. He received his admission to the State Bar of Wisconsin in 2004 and accepted a position at an insurance defense law firm in Milwaukee, WI., before founded the Pemberton Personal Injury Law Firm where he reviews automotive—and understands—vehicle accident reports in preparation for civil liability cases.
• Robert Dillman graduated from Arizona State University with a Master of Arts in International Security. He opened NEVO Driving Academy in 2012. He closed NEVO to work as a Security Driver Training Instructor for the Department of State. Operating out of the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC), Robert quickly established himself as a subject-matter expert for the Driver Training Unit (DTU). In the DTU, Robert wrote a training continuum for new instructors, helped draft the internal Standard Operating Procedures, and redesigned much of the curriculum. After several years, Robert transitioned out of the driving industry to develop and manage the Professional Development Program for FASTC, where he oversaw 250 instructors for compliance, defensive driving maneuvers training, and professional development.

Resources

• AAA: “What Is Hydroplaning?“
• Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.: “Hydroplaning: What is it & What Causes It?
• Jeff S. Bartlett; Tires that last the longest. “Make Your Tires Last Even Longer” Consumer Reports
• Kelly Bluer Book: “What Is Hydroplaning and How to Avoid It?“

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