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Difficulty: EasySkidding Causes and Prevention

Which driver action is most likely to cause a vehicle to skid when travelling on a slippery road surface?

  1. Harsh braking and sudden, sharp steering movementsAnswer
  2. B
    Driving smoothly in a higher gear at low engine revs
  3. C
    Increasing the following distance to the vehicle ahead
  4. D
    Applying gentle and progressive pressure to the footbrake

Answer

Harsh braking and sudden, sharp steering movements
Harsh braking, rapid acceleration, and sudden steering movements put extreme forces on the contact patches of the tyres. On slippery surfaces where grip is already reduced, these abrupt actions easily exceed available traction, causing the tyres to slide and the vehicle to skid.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary mechanism of a vehicle skid
A skid happens when tyre adhesion is lost because the physical demands placed on the tyres exceed the available friction between the rubber and the road surface.
Understanding traction limits clarifies which driver behaviours cause tyres to break grip.
2
Evaluate driver inputs against friction limits
Sudden control inputs such as heavy braking, sharp steering, or rapid acceleration place intense, abrupt loads on the tyres that easily break traction on low-grip surfaces.
Smooth and progressive driving actions preserve tyre adhesion and prevent skidding.

Key Concept

Skidding is primarily caused by driver error, specifically sudden or excessive braking, steering, or acceleration that exceeds tyre grip.
Estimated Time:30s
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Topics

Skidding Causes and Prevention

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