Pneumatic Tire Hydroplaning and Some Effects on Vehicle Performance

Pneumatic tire hydroplaning is described and related research and facilities are reviewed. It is shown that present tire tread design techniques and pavement surface treatment can substantially alleviate hydroplaning effects on pneumatic tires over most vehicle operating speed ranges when the pavement is wet or slightly flooded. The results also show that when pavements are deeply flooded, neither the best tire tread design nor the best pavement surface treatment can prevent hydroplaning at the critical hydroplaning speed; however, the use of air jets to remove fluid from the pavement in front of the tire shows promise as a means of alleviating hydroplaning under this condition.