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Michigan driving lesson · Emergencies and Special Situations

Preventing and handling skids; braking

A 3-minute lesson from the Michigan course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Emergencies and Special Situations
Checkpoint questions
5
Source pages
77

Most skids happen when a driver turns too quickly or stops suddenly on a slippery road. How you brake depends on whether your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS).

On snow or slippery roads:

  • Slow down gradually
  • Test your brakes lightly to get a feel for the road
  • Standard brakes: use steady pressure without locking them, so you can still steer
  • Full anti-lock brakes: maintain brake pressure and steer
Handbook p. 77 ↗

If your vehicle starts to skid:

  • Take your foot off the accelerator
  • Turn the front wheels only enough to point where you want to go — no farther
  • Be ready for a secondary skid in the opposite direction
  • Again steer where you want to go, then straighten the wheels to regain control
Handbook p. 77 ↗

How to brake

How to brake
SituationTechnique
Normal conditionsSteady, firm push on the brake pedal
Extreme, with anti-lock brakesHard, firm pressure from the start; hold it
Extreme, without anti-lock brakesJust hard enough not to lock the wheels
Wheels lock (no ABS)Release pressure, then brake again
Handbook p. 77 ↗

Know the rule

"Extreme conditions" include snow, ice or an emergency stop on dry pavement. With ABS you may feel or hear vibrations or pulsations — that's normal; keep pressing.

Handbook p. 77 ↗

Threshold (controlled) braking

Braking without ABS by pressing just hard enough not to lock the wheels, releasing and reapplying if they lock.

Handbook p. 77 ↗

Put it into practice

Your car with ABS starts sliding toward an intersection on ice. Press the brake hard and keep holding it while you steer — don't pump, even if the pedal pulses.

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.

With standard (non-ABS) brakes on ice or snow, how should you brake to avoid a skid?
  1. Pump the brake pedal rapidly
  2. Shift into neutral and coast
  3. Apply maximum pressure immediately
  4. Apply steady pressure without locking the wheels

Answer: Apply steady pressure without locking the wheels

With standard brakes, use steady pressure without locking the wheels to maintain steering control.

Handbook p. 77 ↗
With full anti-lock brakes (ABS) in a slippery emergency stop, what should you do?
  1. Release the brake as soon as you feel vibration
  2. Maintain brake pressure and steer
  3. Pump the brake pedal in short bursts
  4. Take your foot off the brake and steer

Answer: Maintain brake pressure and steer

With ABS, maintain brake pressure and steer; vibration or pulsation you feel is normal.

Handbook p. 77 ↗
Your vehicle begins skidding. What's the first thing you should do?
  1. Take your foot off the accelerator
  2. Accelerate to regain traction
  3. Brake hard immediately
  4. Turn the wheel sharply opposite the skid

Answer: Take your foot off the accelerator

When a skid begins, first take your foot off the accelerator.

Handbook p. 77 ↗
After correcting the first skid, what should you be prepared for?
  1. A tire blowout
  2. A sudden loss of power steering
  3. The skid is fully resolved, no more action needed
  4. A secondary skid in the opposite direction

Answer: A secondary skid in the opposite direction

Be prepared for a secondary skid in the opposite direction after correcting the first one.

Handbook p. 77 ↗
With ABS brakes, you should pump the brake pedal in an emergency stop rather than holding steady pressure.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

With ABS, you should maintain steady brake pressure and steer, not pump the pedal.

Handbook p. 77 ↗
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