Citation

Aycock E. Collision 2008; 3(2): 78-85.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Collision Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Hydroplaning is a hazardous road condition that occurs when tires go so fast across a wet pavement that they do not have sufficient time to channel the water away from the center of the tire. This results in tires that are lifted by the water away from the road and a loss of all traction. This article discusses a 2003 hydroplaning accident on an interstate highway in Georgia. In this accident the depth of the water on the roadway surface was sufficiently deep to contribute to the hydroplaning of the vehicle. Two causes of the accumulation of water are discussed: (1) a build-up of the water depth as accumulated water traversed the pavement surface; and (2) water flow constricted by curb and gutter sections. A catch basin clogged with sand and silt also could have caused the spreading of water into the travel lanes. In the case study, it was determined that the speed of the vehicle, the condition of the tires and the depth of the water on the roadway all contributed to the hydroplaning accident.