Loss of traction in road vehicles Hydroplaning is a common reason of significant loss of traction Loss of traction in low water situations Hydroplaning most often occurs when there are large volumes of water on a road surface Even slight wetness on a road however can cause a car to lose traction This effect differs from hydroplaning Tires maintain traction on the road by using a mechanism called bulk friction where the rubber of the tire pushes down into tiny pits in irregularities of the road surface When a road becomes slightly wet water can fill these pits thus the water tops them off without overflowing As the narrow strip of tire contacting the road rolls over these miniature puddles the rubber of the tire seals the edges of the pits Because water does not easily compress each pit essentially has a barrier over it that prevents the rubber from pressing into it The result is a reduction in traction A complete loss of control however is unlikely Another form of loss of traction in low water situations is called mudplaning It occurs during the first rainfall on a specific area which have not seen rain for a period of time so that the road is covered by a thin layer of dust When the rain first falls down the thin layer of dust turns into a nearly transparent layer of mud so that the color of asphalt remains as usual but the layer of mud may still cause a critical loss of traction comparable to driving on rime ice When the rain totally washes the pavement off the dust the effects of mudplaning will cease The whole phenomenon is similar to the formation of black ice which has been responsible for many unavoidable accidents on highways