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One mistake many car owners make is putting too much confidence in their new set of tires. Especially when it comes to the expectation that just because they are new that they will have superior stopping power compared to older tires with wear on the tread.
To a point this is true.
However, it turns out that under wet weather driving conditions even new tires do not compare equally when it comes to their ability to resist hydroplaning into an uncontrolled slide or spin resulting in damage.
What is Hydroplaning?
Hydroplaning―also known as aquaplaning―is when a layer of water builds a barrier between the tires of your car and the road surface, which prevents the tires from effectively gripping the road, leading to a loss of traction and control.
The gravity of this situation during rainy conditions on the highway where traffic is often fast and crowded, is that when hydroplaning occurs, one or more vehicles begin to slip and slide uncontrollably leading to multiple car accidents.
Four factors that contribute to hydroplaning, include:
1. Water depth: Oddly enough, it takes very little standing water on the road to induce hydroplaning. Just enough rainwater to fill a tire's tread pattern can displace the air within the tread and cause the tire rubber to lose its grip.
2. Tread depth: It stands to reason that tires with worn-out tread are more prone to hydroplaning because they cannot effectively disperse water from beneath them. Tire grooves are actually designed to actively displace water effectively from the tire’s surface.
3. Car Speed: Higher speeds increase the risk of hydroplaning because the tires may not be able to channel water away quickly enough.
4. Road conditions: Roads with poor drainage, standing water, or uneven surfaces create a perfect storm for a hydroplaning accident.
How Can I Avoid Hydroplaning While Driving in the Rain?
Avoiding hydroplaning requires that drivers become mindful of the conditions and increased risk associated with driving on wet roads.
To avoid hydroplaning, it's important for drivers to:
- Reduce their speed in wet conditions.
- Maintain proper tire tread depth.
- Avoid driving through large puddles or standing water whenever possible.
- Maintain proper tire inflation.
What Does Hydroplaning Look Like?
In case hydroplaning has never happened to you, here is an informative video by Consumer Reports that demonstrates the hazard of hydroplaning.
The value of this video is that it shows how your car speed does not have to be going fast to experience hydroplaning; plus, it also shows what to do when hydroplaning happens to you.
Hydroplaning | Consumer Reports
How to Predict the Speed Your Car Will Hydroplane
Oddly enough, there is a way to predict (with all things being equal) at what speed your car will hydroplane.
A Reddit post 2 months ago by someone who hydroplaned and wrecked their Miata led to a discussion about the best tires for wet roads. Within the post comments one post pointed to a study by the National Safety Bureau that states
Hydroplaning Speed Presuming for the moment that sufficient water is present for hydroplaning to occur, the speed at which a vehicle will hydroplane may be predicted with fair accuracy solely on the basis of tire inflation pressure…Based on hydrodynamic theory, a simplified equation has been developed to predict the hydroplaning speed of a pneumatic tire; namely, Vp = 10.2 √p where Vp = hydroplaning speed in miles per hour and p = tire inflation pressure in pounds per square inch. For example, a tire pressure of 16 pounds gives a hydroplaning speed of 41 mph; 24 pounds, 50 mph; and 32 pounds, 59 mph.
The same article, however, adds this cautionary note:
Partial loss of traction owing to partial support of the tire by the water may occur well below hydroplaning speed and result in critical loss of traction for a given maneuver at speeds well below those predicted.
In other words, even if you’ve done the math―don’t try this at home kids.
How Worn Do Tires Have to Be to Hydroplane?
The truth is that even tires without wear can still hydroplane under the right conditions. According to a recent study by Consumer Reports analysts about the dangers of hydroplaning and your tires:
“We have found in our tests that the difference in stopping distance between a fresh tire and one worn down to 4/32-inch (2/32-inch is when it must be replaced) can be between 14 and 31 feet, depending on the model. That is a huge variation. We have also seen that among new tires, wet braking distances in a segment can differ by almost 50 feet—or about three car lengths—from the best- to the worst-performing models.”
In other words, it’s not just a matter of how old your tires are, but which tire brand and model you are putting your rainy-day faith into.
Which Are the Best Tires for Wet Roads?
In a recent newsletter, the good folks at Consumer Reports recently released their list of recommended tires they found to perform the best on wet roads.
Our tire team analyzed the data from testing hundreds of tires to find the wet-weather standouts in several key segments, including all-season, all-season truck, all-season SUV, performance all-season, ultra-high-performance all-season and summer, winter/snow, performance winter/snow, and all-terrain, stated CR experts in the newsletter.
That said, here are their selections of the top-rated tires with a focus on their performance scores for wet handling, hydroplaning resistance, and wet braking.
ALL-SEASON: BFGoodrich Advantage Control All Season / Price: $162.99
PERFORMANCE ALL-SEASON: Vredestein Quatrac Pro / Price: $155.43
ALL-SEASON SUV: Vredestein HiTrac / Price: $206.77
ALL-SEASON TRUCK: Falken Wildpeak H/T HT02 / Price: $173.00
ALL-TERRAIN TRUCK: Falken Wildpeak A/T3W / Price: $209
UHP ALL-SEASON: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 / Price: $189
UHP SUMMER: Michelin Pilot Sport 4s / Price: $232.99 - $254.28
WINTER/SNOW: Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 / Price: $178.85
PERFORMANCE WINTER/SNOW: Bridgestone Blizzak LM005/ Price: $278
TRUCK WINTER/SNOW: GT Radial IcePro SUV 3 / Price: $155
For additional recent recommendations on tires and tire shopping, here are 3 picks for your consideration:
- Best Tire Values Rated by Consumer Reports 2024
- A Popular All-Terrain Tire is Recalled and What It Means to You
- Why You Should Not Fit Original Equipment Tires on Your Car
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on “Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair” website, the Zen Mechanic blog and on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites and Facebook for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
COMING UP NEXT: People Who Should Not Be Driving
Image source: Deposit Photos
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