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Tennessee driving lesson · Interstate, Night & Weather Driving

Skids, wind, snow & ice

A 4-minute lesson from the Tennessee 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
4 minutes
Course unit
Interstate, Night & Weather Driving
Checkpoint questions
5
Source pages
90, 91, 92

Skids happen when tires can no longer grip the road — almost always because a driver was going too fast for conditions. In winter the danger multiplies. The best skid is the one you never start, so slow down well before you need to stop.

If your car skids

  • Stay off the brake until the car slows
  • Steer where you want the car to go (rear sliding left? steer left)
  • As the car straightens, turn the wheel back so you don't start a new skid
  • Keep correcting left and right until you're back in control
Handbook p. 90 ↗

If your wheels drop off the pavement

  • Lift off the gas — don't brake suddenly
  • Grip the wheel firmly; don't jerk it back
  • Brake lightly and briefly
  • Keep steering straight
  • Wait until no cars are near
  • Once slowed and clear, turn back onto the pavement
Handbook p. 90 ↗

Rumble stripes

Indentations with the edge line painted over them. They rumble, but their main job is making the edge line visible on wet nights by letting water drain off.

Handbook p. 90 ↗

Handling strong wind

  • Slow down for more control
  • Expect crosswinds when leaving a sheltered area
  • Towing? Be ready to correct trailer sway
  • When a truck or bus passes on the left, move right in your lane and slow down
  • Head wind: you may need more gas; tail wind: brake earlier
Handbook p. 91 ↗

Know the rule

Sun glare early and late in the day: wear sunglasses, keep windows clean, use your visors — and remember oncoming drivers facing the sun may not see your signals.

Handbook p. 91 ↗

Stuck in mud or snow

  • Shift to low gear and keep the front wheels straight
  • Press the gas gently and avoid spinning the wheels
  • Drive forward, then back slowly, as far as possible — rock free
  • Put boards or branches under the tires, never while wheels spin or the car is in gear
Handbook p. 91 ↗

Know the rule

Put tire chains on before driving in snow or mud, after pulling as far right as possible.

Handbook p. 91 ↗

The three big snow-and-ice errors

  • Over-powering and spinning the wheels
  • Over-braking and sliding the wheels
  • Over-steering and skidding the wheels
Handbook p. 91 ↗

Know the rule

Clear snow, ice and frost from ALL windows, lights and mirrors before driving, and use headlights whenever weather restricts visibility.

Handbook p. 91 ↗
200 feet or more

Stopping distance at just 20 mph when traction is low

Handbook p. 92 ↗

Know the rule

Without ABS, brake firmly to just short of lockup; if wheels lock, ease off slightly and reapply — don't pump. Continuous hard braking locks the front wheels and you lose steering. With ABS, keep firm, constant pressure, all the way to the floor if needed.

Handbook p. 92 ↗

Know the rule

Ice hides where you don't expect it: a shady hillside, bridges that freeze before the road, and snow packed slick by stop-and-go traffic.

Handbook p. 92 ↗

Put it into practice

Rounding a curve on a cold, wet morning, your rear end slides left. Take your foot off the brake and gas, steer left to line the front back up, then turn back right as the car straightens. Keep making small corrections until you're rolling straight.

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 begins to skid, what should you do first?
  1. Slam on the brakes immediately
  2. Turn the wheel opposite the skid
  3. Accelerate to regain control
  4. Stay off the brake; steer where you want to go

Answer: Stay off the brake; steer where you want to go

In a skid, stay off the brake and steer in the direction you want the vehicle to travel.

Handbook p. 90 ↗
On snow or ice, continuous hard braking can cause:
  1. The front wheels to lock, causing loss of steering
  2. The rear wheels to spin
  3. The ABS to shut off
  4. The engine to stall

Answer: The front wheels to lock, causing loss of steering

Continuous hard braking on snow and ice can lock the front brakes, resulting in a loss of steering control.

Handbook p. 92 ↗
Which of the following is one of the three big errors drivers make in snow and ice?
  1. Over-braking and sliding the wheels
  2. Driving too slowly for conditions
  3. Starting out in a low gear
  4. Keeping a steady, slow speed

Answer: Over-braking and sliding the wheels

The three big errors are over-powering/spinning the wheels, over-braking/sliding the wheels, and over-steering/skidding the wheels.

Handbook p. 91 ↗
If your vehicle's wheels drop off the edge of the pavement, you should:
  1. Brake hard immediately
  2. Ease off the gas and hold the wheel firmly
  3. Jerk the wheel back onto the pavement
  4. Accelerate to regain the pavement quickly

Answer: Ease off the gas and hold the wheel firmly

Lift off the gas, keep a firm grip without jerking the wheel, and brake lightly before easing back onto the pavement when safe.

Handbook p. 90 ↗
Snow on busy stop-and-go streets gets less slippery as traffic packs it down after a storm.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

On streets with a lot of stop-and-go traffic, snow soon packs hard and becomes extremely slippery from sliding and spinning wheels.

Handbook p. 92 ↗
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