In Florida - the rains are heavy, and they come quickly. In a half hours time the weather can go from sunshine, to heavy rain, and back to sunshine again. This is known as Florida Ice.
Every vehicle function that changes direction or speed, from turning, to accelerating, to braking, places an increased load on the tires. Control of this load relies on the friction between the tire contact points and the road surface. More friction makes for a greater resistance to slipping; if water comes between the tires and the road, friction may be reduced to the extent that the driver may lose control.The
tread or grooves, sometimes referred to as sipes, of a rubber tire are designed
to remove water from beneath the tire, providing high friction with the road
surface even in wet conditions. Hydroplaning occurs when a tire encounters more
water than it can dissipate. Water pressure in front of the wheel forces a wedge
of water under the leading edge of the tire, causing it to lift from the road.
The tire then skates on a sheet of water with little, if any, direct road
contact, resulting in loss of control.
If multiple tires hydroplane, the vehicle may lose directional control and slide
until it either collides with an obstacle, or slows enough that one or more
tires contact the road again and friction is regained.
The likelihood of hydroplaning increases with the speed of the vehicle and the
depth of the water. Tread wear and underinflation also increase the risk for
hydroplaning, as do wider tires. Narrower tires are less vulnerable to
hydroplaning because the vehicle weight is distributed over a smaller rubber
contact patch, resulting in a greater ability for the tires to press water to
the sides, allowing tire contact with pavement.
The practice of plus sizing by replacing a vehicle's original equipment wheel
size with a larger diameter wheel and replacing the tire with a
lower-aspect-ratio tire of the same diameter affects, some of the performance
characteristics of vehicles, as well as increases the risk of hydroplaning with
the wider tires.
Bicycles, motorcycles, and similar vehicles with a round-shaped surface toward
the pavement are far less likely to hydroplane in normal road use. The contact
area with the road is a canoe-shaped patch that effectively squeezes water out
of the way. However, because road friction is reduced in wet conditions, the
lateral force that the tires can accommodate before sliding is greatly
diminished. While a slide in a four-wheeled vehicle is correctable with
practice, the same slide on a motorcycle will generally cause the rider to fall,
with severe consequences. Thus, despite the relative lack of hydroplaning
danger, motorcycle riders must be even more cautious because overall traction is
reduced by wet roadways.