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To skid means to slide or slip (without revolving) over a surface, because of loss of traction. Skidding caused over 24, 000 accidents in 2001. Out of these 24, 000, about 200 caused death, 7, 000 caused personal injury, and 17, 000 caused property damage. Applying the brakes or accelerator too hard, spinning the wheels, and going around a curve too fast can all cause you to start skidding? Other factors that contribute to skidding include how well your vehicle holds the road, traction (what makes the car stick to the roadway), road surface - (Is the road asphalt or concrete?
Rough or smooth? The rougher it is, the better the wheels hold), vehicle velocity, and road conditions (Icy, snowy and rain covered roadways prevent your tires from holding as well), weather, lighting, condition of tires (A deflated tire has too much play and an over-inflated tire will skim across the road. A new tire with a lot of tread will grip the roadway better. An over-heated tire will get soft and lose its grip), the type of vehicle, steering input (novice drivers will sometimes overreact when they start to skid, turn the wheel too far in the opposite direction, and start skidding again), suspension system, speed and direction of the vehicle - (The faster you go, the more energy your vehicle has to use before it comes to a stop. If the road is heading east, and you are going North, you will have a better chance of skidding. ), vehicle load, etc. The most important thing you should remember when you start to skid is not to panic, if you dont panic youll be able to remember what to do.
The key to controlling a skid is steering, not braking, so you should always steer gently into the skid. Your front wheels skid when you brake or accelerate hard, or if your vehicle has front-wheel drive. If your front wheels start to skid, focus on the take your foot off the brake or accelerator, and de-clutch on a car with a manual transmission / shift to neutral on a car with automatic transmission. If the front wheels have been turned before losing traction, dont move the steering wheel (when the wheels are skidding sideways youll have more braking force). You should only straighten out the steering wheel if there is limited space or sharp curves. In that case, you would not release the brake pedal.
Wait for the front wheels to grip the road again, youll feel a slight pause as the vehicle gains control, then steer the wheel to get back into traffic. Release the clutch or shift, and gently accelerate to the speed of traffic. If your rear wheels start to skid, you should take your foot off of the brake or accelerator, and de-clutch on a car with a manual transmission / shift to neutral on a car with automatic transmission. Look and steer in the direction that you want the front of the vehicle to go. When the rear wheels stop skidding to the right or left, counter-steer (steer in the opposite direction) until you are going in the direction you want. Once the vehicle is straight, youll feel a slight pause as the vehicle gains control, then release the clutch or shift, and gently accelerate to the speed of traffic.
In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, if you over-correct the first skid, be ready for another skid in the opposite direction. Four-wheel skids are usually caused by driving too fast for conditions. If all four of your wheels start to skid, you should take your foot off the accelerator or brake, and de-clutch on a car with a manual transmission / shift to neutral on a car with automatic transmission if you can do it quickly. Look and steer in the direction you want the car to go. Wait for the wheels to grip the road again, youll feel a slight pause as the vehicle gains control, then release the clutch or shift, and accelerate to the speed of traffic. To prevent skidding you should try to avoid a dangerous skid situation.
You should know your automobile, and how its equipped. If you dont have anti-lock brakes, consider getting it. The anti-lock braking system is a computer-controlled system that pumps your brakes. It has sensors that control braking on each wheel separately. It allows your tires to continue rotating even when theres not very much friction. It was made to prevent skidding and locking wheels even in bad conditions.
Even if you slam on your brakes, the anti-lock brakes will keep you going straight while you steer around other obstacles. If for some reason the anti-lock brakes ever fail, youll still have your normal brakes, so youre better protected.
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