What's the best way not
to get into a skid? Avoid it in the first place! One
of the best ways to avoid trouble on the road (not just
skids) is to drive smoothly. True professionals drive so
seamlessly that you do not feel anything when they shift,
turn, or brake. Plan ahead, watch carefully, and slow down,
especially if you are unfamiliar with the road. Skids almost
always happen because the vehicle was running too fast for
conditions.
Be
careful when conditions might be slippery, as this is
when most skids occur. But no matter what the road's surface
condition is, skids are caused by driver error. Try to turn
too sharply, enter a turn too quickly, or use excessive
acceleration or braking, and you'll get the chance to practice
skids! Keep your brakes maintained and properly adjusted,
because a lateral imbalance in your brakes can cause or
aggravate a skid.
There are two common types of skids.
"Oversteer" (or fishtailing) occurs when your
front wheels are taking a shorter path than desired and
the rear-end breaks loose and fishtails. This is the result
of power and side forces causing loss of traction on the
rear wheels; there is too much power applied for the existing
steering input and the resulting side forces cause the rear
wheels to break free, often as a result of trying to accelerate
out of a turn. "Understeer" (or plowing) occurs
when you have too much steering input for the power you
are applying (too sharp an angle between the tires and the
direction of motion), and the front wheels skid ahead as
a result.
Professional driving instructors advise
a new way of teaching skid recovery, instead of the old
rule, which was, "Turn into the skid." They say
this "new" way is more understandable to non-professionals,
but either way, they adamantly say the result is the same.
This change was made because many folks didn't clearly understand
what "turn into the skid" means.
If you find yourself in an over-steer skid,
first thing to do is get off the gas, keep your foot off
the brakes, or smoothly release brake pressure if already
applied, and if you are driving a standard shift vehicle,
disengage the clutch. Quickly turn the steering wheel
in the direction you want the front of the car to
go (down the road). Specifically, this means align your
tires with the direction of your intended travel. As
your vehicle turns back in the correct direction, you must
then counter steer in time to stop the turning and stay
on your desired path. If you do not do this promptly, the
vehicle will continue to turn past your intended direction,
and you may then skid in that direction. You may have to
counter-steer more than once to get things under control.
[Editor's Note: There are two situations
where the previous techniques could actually make the
skid recovery more difficult. When you are driving either
a front-wheel drive vehicle or a rear-wheel drive with
the four-wheel drive engaged, a quick reduction on the
accelerator can cause a result in a loss of control that
mimics what happens when the brake pedal is depressed
-- namely, the front wheels are slowed faster than the
rear wheels increasing the over-steer skid problem. What
is generally recommended is to place the vehicle into
neutral (or depress the clutch) to allow the front wheels
to coast as the vehicle is turned in the direction described
above. My own experience is that control is much easier
to reacquire by applying a steady pressure on the gas
pedal as one "drives" out of the skid, but this
assumes that the driver was traveling an appropriately
slow speed to begin with. Our thanks to reader L.N. from
York, PA, for reminding us of this issue.]
For an under-steer skid, slightly reduce
your steering input while slowing (without heavy
braking) so you'll regain your directional control as the
tires again grip the road surface. In this skid, the critical
issue is to reduce speed so that you can regain a grip on
the road and complete your turn. Even just a slight decrease
in steering input, combined with the reduction in speed,
may be enough to stop the skid from progressing.
These techniques are something you need
to practice. If there are any high performance driving
schools in your area, take advantage of the "safety"
course they offer and you'll get the opportunity to practice
skid recovery under safe, controlled conditions. You'll
have a better idea of what to do, and a better idea of your
own capabilities behind the wheel. I guarantee you will
be a safer driver.
Keep the shiny side up!
<Rule
#29: Check for Hydroplaning
Rule #31: Avoid Head-On Collisions>
