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Question

Difficulty: HardDriving in Adverse Weather and Low Visibility

While descending a dark mountain road at night in dense freezing fog, your vehicle's rear end begins sliding to the left as you negotiate a curve to the right. Which action should you immediately take to regain control of the vehicle?

  1. Ease your foot off the accelerator and turn the steering wheel to the left in the direction of the skid without hard braking.Answer
  2. B
    Turn the steering wheel sharply to the right toward the inside of the curve while applying firm, steady pressure to the brakes.
  3. C
    Maintain the posted speed limit while turning on high-beam headlights to see through the fog layer.
  4. D
    Slam forcefully on the brakes and turn the steering wheel opposite to the slide until the vehicle stops.

Answer

Ease your foot off the accelerator and turn the steering wheel to the left in the direction of the skid without hard braking.
When a rear-wheel skid occurs, easing off the gas and steering in the direction the rear of the car is sliding re-aligns the vehicle's momentum with the rolling tires. Avoiding the brake pedal keeps the wheels rotating, which is necessary to regain lateral grip.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the direction of the rear-wheel skid.
Recognize that the rear end of the vehicle is sliding toward the left.
Corrective steering requires knowing which way the rear wheels are sliding.
2
Release the accelerator pedal smoothly.
Transfers weight forward to assist front tire traction without sudden weight shift.
Engine braking or acceleration can worsen loss of traction on slippery surfaces.
3
Steer into the direction of the skid (to the left).
Re-aligns the front tires with the direction the rear wheels are moving.
Steering into the skid prevents the vehicle from rotating out of control.
4
Avoid braking until traction is re-established.
Prevents locking wheels or triggering anti-lock brake instability on slippery pavement.
Locked or heavily braked tires cannot provide directional control.

Key Concept

Skid Recovery and Directional Control in Adverse Weather
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Topics

Driving in Adverse Weather and Low Visibility

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