Question

Difficulty: MediumSkid Control and Recovery

When recovering from a drive-wheel skid on a slippery road, a driver should immediately apply firm service braking to prevent the drive wheels from spinning and to stabilize the vehicle.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False. Drivers must avoid braking and ease off the accelerator to allow the drive wheels to roll freely and regain traction.
The statement is false because the cardinal rule of drive-wheel skid recovery is to stop braking immediately. Applying brakes locks the drive wheels, destroys any remaining lateral traction, and severely increases the likelihood of a catastrophic jackknife.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze vehicle dynamics during a drive-wheel skid.
Traction has been lost at the drive wheels, allowing the rear of the vehicle to slide sideways.
Regaining control requires the drive tires to roll freely so lateral friction and directional stability can be re-established.
2
Evaluate the effect of applying service brakes during an active drive-wheel skid.
Braking locks or retards the sliding wheels, completely eliminating directional guidance forces.
Locked or heavily braked wheels cannot generate cornering traction, causing the rear end to swing out faster.
3
Identify the standard CDL recovery procedure.
The driver must stop braking, ease off the accelerator, push in the clutch on manual transmissions if necessary, and countersteer.
Removing braking forces allows the tires to turn freely and re-establish rolling grip with the road surface.

Key Concept

Drive-Wheel Skid Recovery and Braking Dynamics
Estimated Time:45s
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