INTRODUCTION We have all felt the phenomena while driving on wet road when you lose control of your car. Sometimes it may just be for a second, in more severe cases it causes accidents; this phenomenon is called hydroplaning. Hydroplaning occurs when enough water pressure is built up in front of your tires that it pushes itself underneath the tires so your car is riding on water. There are several different ways for this to happen: Dynamic, Viscous, and Reverted Rubber Hydroplaning. The two main types of hydroplaning that can be distinguished are Dynamic and Viscous hydroplaning. In general, both types of hydroplaning can occur at the same time. We will focus on dynamic hydroplaning here because it is the most important. When the water pressure reaches the weight of the car, it will force itself under the tires, causing you to lose steering and the usage of your brakes. Next, viscous hydroplaning can occur at a much slower speed than dynamic due to the combination of the viscous properties of water and the asphalt. Last, but certainly not least, we have reverted rubber hydroplaning. This kind of hydroplaning occurs when you “lock” up your brakes. The friction between the tires and asphalt heat up the rubber and cause it to flatten out or melt which acts as a seal to keep water from escaping underneath the tire. The sealed water is then heated by the rubber and turns to steam which lifts the tire off the ground.
