Final answer:
Driving at 35 mph or more on wet surfaces can cause hydroplaning and significantly increase the stopping distance due to reduced tire traction, making it critical to drive at reduced speeds under such conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Driving at a speed of 35 mph or more on wet road surfaces can cause hydroplaning. At these speeds, a vehicle's tires can lose contact with the road surface, leading to a loss of traction and the inability to effectively brake or steer. This happens because the water between the tires and the road surface cannot be removed fast enough, effectively floating the vehicle above the pavement. The situation escalates because the stopping distance on wet surfaces is significantly longer than on dry surfaces, hence reducing speed is critical.
On dry concrete, a car may decelerate at a rate of 7.00 m/s², while on wet concrete the deceleration rate decreases to 5.00 m/s². Let's assume the driver has a reaction time of 0.500 seconds before hitting the brakes. The total distance needed to stop includes both the reaction distance, which the car travels before braking starts, and the braking distance. For a car traveling at 30 m/s, the total stopping distance on wet concrete will be greater due to the reduced deceleration rate.