Loss
of
Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In
any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In
a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types
of
skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In
the
braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed
or
steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and
an
acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off
the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal
and
quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to
go.
If
you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid
if
it occurs.
Of
course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel
or
other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It
is
important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving
on
a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting
to
a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
--
such
as
enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface”
--
and slow
down when you have any doubt.
If
you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking
skid.
If
you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes
to get
the
wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you
have
to
stop suddenly.
As
long as the wheels
are
rolling,
you will have steering control.
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