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Question

Difficulty: MediumSkidding Causes and Prevention

You are driving along a rural road covered with wet autumn leaves. As you negotiate a bend, the rear wheels lose grip and the vehicle begins to skid to the right. What should you do to help regain control?

  1. A
    Brake firmly and hold the footbrake down until the vehicle stops
  2. Ease off the accelerator and steer smoothly into the direction of the skidAnswer
  3. C
    Apply the handbrake sharply to straighten the rear tyres
  4. D
    Depress the clutch pedal fully and coast through the bend

Answer

Ease off the accelerator and steer smoothly into the direction of the skid
When the rear wheels skid to the right, easing off the accelerator removes excess torque from the drive wheels without shocking the chassis. Steering gently in the direction of the skid (to the right) aligns the front wheels with the rear slide, allowing the tyres to regain rolling traction and recover vehicle balance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the type and direction of the skid
Recognise that the rear wheels have lost traction on wet leaves and are sliding to the right (oversteer)
Correct recovery requires knowing which axle has lost grip and which direction the vehicle is rotating
2
Release pedals smoothly rather than slamming on the brakes
Avoid locking the tyres or shifting vehicle weight abruptly forward
Sudden braking or acceleration breaks remaining tyre adhesion with the road surface
3
Steer carefully in the direction of the rear skid
The front wheels align with the vehicle's direction of travel, bringing the front and rear back in line
Counter-steering into the skid allows the tyres to regain directional rolling traction without over-correcting

Key Concept

Skid correction technique and pedal management during rear-wheel skids
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Skidding Causes and Prevention

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