Question

Difficulty: MediumWinter Driving, Snow, and Black Ice

While driving through a shaded tree-lined roadway during freezing weather, a driver feels the rear of the vehicle begin to slide toward the right shoulder due to invisible black ice. Which of the following actions should the driver take immediately to safely regain control?

  1. Ease off the accelerator pedal and steer smoothly to the right in the direction of the slide without slamming on the brakes.Answer
  2. B
    Steer sharply to the left to counteract the vehicle's movement while pressing the brake pedal firmly.
  3. C
    Apply hard, sudden braking pressure immediately while keeping the steering wheel held straight forward.
  4. D
    Accelerate quickly to shift vehicle weight to the rear axle while maintaining the original steering position.

Answer

Ease off the accelerator pedal and steer smoothly in the direction the rear of the vehicle is sliding without applying hard braking.
When experiencing a rear-wheel skid on black ice, the recommended safety procedure is to ease off the accelerator and steer smoothly in the direction the rear of the vehicle is sliding (to the right in this scenario). Avoid hard braking, as keeping the tires rolling helps restore friction between the tire tread and the icy road surface.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the direction of the skid
Recognize that the rear of the car is sliding toward the right side of the road.
Correcting a skid requires knowing which way the rear wheels are drifting.
2
Remove foot from the accelerator
Engine power to the drive wheels is reduced smoothly.
Slowing down wheel rotation allows tire tread to re-establish mechanical grip on icy surfaces.
3
Steer into the skid
Turn the front wheels toward the right shoulder aligned with the rear drift.
Aligning front wheel direction with vehicle momentum prevents oversteering and spins.

Key Concept

Black Ice Skid Recovery Technique
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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