I took this photo at the beach. Looking at the tire tracks made me think about why car tires have treads, instead of being smooth, like racing tires. Why?
Answer:
Smooth tires would actually have better traction on dry roads, but on wet roads, a thin layer of water between the tire and the road would cause them to hydroplane. On a wet road, the treads allow the water to flow into the grooves, letting the tire make contact with the road to maintain friction and control.
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