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Question

Difficulty: MediumSkid Control and Recovery

You are driving a commercial motor vehicle on a wet asphalt roadway. While navigating a curve, the rear drive wheels lose traction and the back end of the vehicle starts sliding outward to the right. What is the correct procedure to recover from this drive-wheel skid?

  1. A
    Turn the steering wheel sharply to the left away from the skid while maintaining steady accelerator pressure.
  2. Release the accelerator or brake pedal, steer to the right in the direction of the rear skid, and counter-steer as the vehicle begins to straighten.Answer
  3. C
    Engage the engine retarder to maximum power to drag the drive axle and pull the rear wheels back into alignment.
  4. D
    Apply firm, continuous pressure to the service brakes to arrest vehicle momentum before reaching the outer edge of the roadway.

Answer

Release the accelerator or brake pedal, steer to the right in the direction of the rear skid, and counter-steer as the vehicle begins to straighten.
To recover from a drive-wheel skid, the driver must stop accelerating or braking to restore rolling traction to the drive tires. Steering in the direction of the skid (to the right when the rear slides right) realigns the vehicle, and counter-steering immediately as the vehicle straightens prevents a secondary skid in the opposite direction.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Stop braking or accelerating immediately by taking your feet off the pedals.
Driveline torque or braking forces locking the tires are removed, allowing the drive wheels to start rolling again.
Rolling tires possess significantly higher directional and lateral traction than locked or spinning tires.
2
Turn the steering wheel in the direction the rear of the vehicle is skidding (to the right).
The front wheels track in alignment with the sliding rear end, arresting the angular rotation of the vehicle.
Steering in the direction of the skid brings the vehicle back into linear tracking.
3
Counter-steer back toward the intended travel path as soon as the vehicle starts to straighten.
The vehicle stabilizes in the center of the travel lane without overshooting into a secondary skid.
Failing to counter-steer causes the vehicle to whip around and skid violently in the opposite direction.

Key Concept

Drive-wheel skid recovery and counter-steering technique
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Skid Control and Recovery

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