A 2-minute lesson from the Kentucky course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
When you skid, you have little control of your vehicle. Drivers without skid skills panic, stomp on the brake and overcorrect the steering—which only makes the skid worse and often ends in a crash that could be fatal.
Uneven pavement drop-offs cause serious crashes when drivers react improperly. If your wheels leave the pavement, avoid panic steering back on. Slow down gradually and, when safe, turn quickly back onto the pavement.
On an icy curve the rear of your car slides out to the right. Ease off the gas, look where you want to go, and turn the wheel to the right—the way the back is skidding—then steer back as the car straightens.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
If your vehicle does not have ABS and begins to skid while braking, you should:
Turn the wheel sharply away from the skid
Pump the brakes gently
Press the brake pedal as hard as possible
Take your foot off the brake completely and coast
Answer: Pump the brakes gently
Without ABS, pump the brakes gently rather than slamming them, which would lock the wheels and worsen a skid.