Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumSkidding Causes and Prevention

As you accelerate away from a junction onto a cold, wet road, the front tyres spin and lose directional grip. What should you do to regain steering control?

  1. Ease off the accelerator smoothly until the tyres regain tractionAnswer
  2. B
    Apply the footbrake firmly to quickly stop the spinning wheels
  3. C
    Depress the clutch pedal fully and coast through the turn
  4. D
    Turn the steering wheel sharply into the bend to force the front wheels to bite

Answer

Ease off the accelerator smoothly until the tyres regain traction and steering response is restored.
When driven wheels spin due to excessive acceleration on a slippery surface, the tyres lose lateral grip needed for steering. Releasing the accelerator pedal smoothly reduces rotational force, allowing the tyre tread to grip the road surface again and restore directional control.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the cause of the loss of steering control
Excessive engine power applied on a slippery surface has caused the driven tyres to spin and break traction.
Tyres can only provide a finite amount of grip shared between acceleration, braking, and steering.
2
Reduce the rotational demand on the driven wheels by easing off the throttle
Wheelspin stops and the tyre contact patches re-establish adhesion with the asphalt.
Removing excess acceleration demand allows available grip to be redirected entirely into directional control.
3
Guide the steering smoothly along the desired path of travel
The vehicle responds progressively and safely follows the intended road line.
Smooth, measured steering inputs prevent overloading tyre adhesion during traction recovery.

Key Concept

Skid Prevention via Throttle Moderation and Traction Recovery
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Skidding Causes and Prevention

More questions from this topic