Hydroplaning can cause your vehicle to skid. It is caused by…?
- Over-inflated tires
- Ice on roadway
- Flat tires
- Your tires riding on top of the water ✓
Answer: D. Your tires riding on top of the water
Hydroplaning is caused by your tires riding on top of the water.
Why this is the answer
The handbook describes hydroplaning as the tires losing contact with the road and floating on a film of water. When that happens, steering and braking stop working normally, so the vehicle can skid. The same section notes it can occur in rain or standing water and that higher speed raises the chance. It also says low tire pressure or worn tread makes hydroplaning more likely. That points to water lifting the tires, not to ice or tire inflation being the cause.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Over-inflated tires — The passages mention low tire pressure and worn tread as risk factors; they do not say over-inflated tires cause hydroplaning.
- B. Ice on roadway — Ice is discussed as a slippery surface that contributes to skidding, but hydroplaning is specifically about tires floating on water.
- C. Flat tires — The handbook discusses low tire pressure as a risk factor, not flat tires, and it does not say a flat tire causes the tires to ride on water.
Remember it
Think of a water film lifting the tires off the road: if steering suddenly feels very light, you are floating, so slow down before puddles.