Skidding

Skids don’t just happen. They’re caused by a driver asking too much of the vehicle for the amount of grip the tyres have on the road at that time.

A skid happens when your vehicle changes speed or direction so suddenly that its tyres can’t keep their grip on the road.

There’s a greater risk of skidding when

• slowing down
• speeding up
• driving around a corner or bend
• driving uphill or downhill.

The risk increases on a slippery road surface.

Drivers of vehicles equipped with anti-skid technology (for example, ESC – see page 100) should refer to the vehicle handbook for the manufacturer’s advice on getting the best out of its anti-skid system.

Skids caused by braking

Harsh and uncontrolled braking is one of the chief causes of skidding. Brakes have their greatest stopping power when they’re nearly, but not quite, locked.

The weight of the car is thrown forward when braking. The heavier the braking, the more weight goes to the front and the less there is on the rear wheels.

The less weight there is on the rear wheels, the more likely they are to lock.

Skidding on dry roads

Skids can happen on dry roads, even with good tyres, if you brake harshly.

A lot of the weight is thrown forward and it’s impossible to keep the vehicle straight. It begins to swing and only has to touch something to be in danger of turning over.

Anti-lock brakes

ABS brakes help you to continue steering while braking, but on wet or slippery roads this will be less effective. The brakes are only as good as the tyres’ grip on the road.

Don’t assume that ABS brakes will reduce the stopping distance.

Skids caused by steering

These are caused by steering too sharply for the speed at which you’re travelling.

Skids caused by acceleration

Sudden or harsh acceleration while cornering, particularly in the lower gears, may cause the driving wheels to spin on the road surface. Unless you ease off the accelerator very quickly, the vehicle could go into a skid because of the wheelspin.

Skids caused by braking and steering

If you brake harshly while turning, the combined forces can quickly overcome your tyres’ grip, leading to a skid.

You may skid if your tyres are only just gripping while you’re cornering and you start braking.

You could also skid if you’re braking when you start cornering.

The answer is simple: adjust your speed to the conditions and give yourself plenty of space. If the road is wet or icy, your tyres have much less grip.

Avoiding skids

There’s no better protection against skids than driving in a way that will avoid them. Skids are caused by drivers; they don’t just happen. Take note of the following.

• On very slippery surfaces your stopping distance can be as much as 10 times longer than on a dry road.
• Look out for signs of slippery roads. Any wet road, even in summer, is likely to be slippery. Be wary of rain, ice, packed snow, frost, wet mud, loose surfaces and wet leaves. Diesel and oil spillages will also make the road slippery, as will patches of new tarmac.
• If you suspect the road is slippery, keep your speed down. When your tyre grip is poor, braking is more likely to cause a skid.
• Use engine braking. Change down in good time.

Anti-skid technology

Electronic stability control (ESC) is a computer-controlled system that combines the functions of ABS and traction control. It detects loss of traction and automatically makes corrective adjustments to prevent loss of control. When the system operates, the driver may be unaware of how close the car is to its handling limits. To alert the driver, the ESC indicator lamp will flash on when the ESC operates.

ESC can’t overcome the laws of physics; if the driver is travelling too fast, there’s a risk of losing control.

ESC is fitted to all new cars sold in the EU, but some manufacturers give it a different name; for example, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP®). Refer to your vehicle handbook for details.

Dealing with skids if your vehicle isn’t fitted with anti-skid technology

If your car is skidding, there are a number of things you should do.

• Release the brake pedal fully. Drivers often instinctively do the opposite, keeping their right foot hard down on the brake pedal throughout the skid. This makes matters worse, so keep off the brakes.
• If the skid is more than a slight slide, to bring the wheels into line again, ease right off the accelerator and turn into the skid. That is
  • if the rear of the vehicle is going left, you should steer left to bring the front wheels into line with the direction of the back wheels
  • if the rear of the vehicle is going right, steer to the right. Be careful not to overcorrect with too much steering. Too much movement of the front wheels will lead to another skid in the opposite direction.

If the front wheels are sliding instead of, or as well as, the back wheels, release the accelerator and don’t try to steer until the wheels regain some of their grip.

Too much power on a front-wheel-drive vehicle can produce the same problem. Again, ease off the accelerator.

Remember

• adopt safe driving techniques that avoid the build-up to a skid
• adjust to the conditions and give yourself time to react safely
• if your vehicle is fitted with anti-skid technology, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions.