Question

Difficulty: MediumSkid Control and Recovery

A commercial motor vehicle driver encounters sudden icy road conditions and the rear drive wheels begin sliding sideways. What is the correct sequence of actions the driver must take to safely recover control? Arrange the following recovery steps in chronological order from first to last.

  1. 1Immediately release the accelerator pedal to eliminate drive torque and allow the drive tires to resume rolling.
  2. 2Depress the clutch pedal to completely disconnect the driveline and prevent engine drag or stalling.
  3. 3Turn the steering wheel toward the direction of the skid to guide the front of the vehicle back into alignment.
  4. 4Counter-steer in the opposite direction as the vehicle begins to straighten out to prevent overcorrecting into a secondary skid.

Answer

The correct sequence is: (1) release the accelerator pedal, (2) depress the clutch pedal, (3) steer into the direction of the skid, and (4) counter-steer in the opposite direction as alignment begins.
Recovering from a drive-wheel skid follows a precise four-stage protocol: first, release the accelerator to stop drive wheel spin; second, depress the clutch to remove driveline drag; third, steer in the direction of the skid to realign the tractor; and fourth, counter-steer in the opposite direction the moment the vehicle begins to straighten to neutralize rotational momentum and prevent a secondary skid.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Remove power from the drive axle
Drive wheels stop spinning under engine power, facilitating the return of static rolling friction.
Applying throttle or maintaining drive torque perpetuates wheel slip and prevents tires from regaining traction.
2
Disengage the transmission with the clutch
The drivetrain is decoupled, preventing engine compression braking from locking the drive wheels.
Engine drag can act like a brake on slick surfaces, keeping the drive wheels from freely turning.
3
Steer into the skid direction
Front steering wheels align with the vehicle's momentum to regain directional path control.
Turning toward the direction the rear is sliding allows the front axle to track with the skid and stop the rotation.
4
Counter-steer as the vehicle straightens
The vehicle stabilizes along its original path without swinging out in the other direction.
Failing to counter-steer promptly results in an overcorrection secondary skid that often causes a jackknife or rollover.

Key Concept

Drive-wheel skid recovery requires immediate throttle release, clutch disengagement, steering into the skid, and counter-steering to prevent secondary skidding.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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