Driver's License Test Prep
Pennsylvania Practice Adverse Conditions

According to the manual, why does wet pavement become even more slippery during hot weather?

  1. A.
    Warm air holds more moisture, leaving a deeper film of water on the road.
  2. B.
    The heat pulls more oil out of the asphalt and up to the road surface. Correct
  3. C.
    Tires soften in the heat and lose their grip on the pavement.
  4. D.
    Brake fluid heats up and slows your braking response.
The Why

The answer is "The heat pulls more oil out of the asphalt and up to the road surface."

Heat pulls oil out of the asphalt binder, and the rain then floats that oil on top, giving tires an even thinner film to grip. Answer C shifts the blame from the road surface to the rubber, swapping the pavement mechanism the manual names for a tire-compound one it never mentions.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Warm air holds more moisture, leaving a deeper film of water on the road.

Water depth is not the mechanism the manual identifies. Reaches for a weather-science idea about humidity instead of the asphalt-oil rule the manual actually gives.

C. Tires soften in the heat and lose their grip on the pavement.

The manual points to the road surface, not to the tire compound. Blames the tire when the manual blames what the tire is rolling on.

D. Brake fluid heats up and slows your braking response.

Brake fade is a different phenomenon and is not mentioned in this passage. Substitutes a mechanical failure mode for the road-surface mechanism the manual describes.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Adverse Conditions in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Driver Manual, "Wet Pavements," p.40..

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