Winter in Colorado comes in fits and starts, and usually takes us all by surprise. When that severe winter weather hits, it’s not unusual to see more accidents, more vehicles losing control and winding up in the ditch, and more skidding. The best way to survive a skid is to never have it happen in the first place, but if you find yourself in a situation where you’re losing traction and control, there are ways to correct the issue. Still, it’s important to know that skidding is extremely dangerous, and prevention is the best way to avoid any potential negative outcomes.
Don’t Assume You Know
As it turns out, being taught skid recovery in driver’s ed doesn’t mean you’re actually prepared to handle it if it happens on the road. In fact, there’s a chance you’re worse off if you’ve been “taught” how to handle a skid in the past. It’s less important whether or not the information was technically correct or not, and more about what having that “knowledge” does for your confidence. Or, in many instances, overconfidence. The feeling that you could recover easily leads many drivers to feel like they’re invincible. One of the best ways to handle a potential skidding situation is to know that skidding is a risk, and preparing to act accordingly if you find yourself in a skid.
Hands on the Wheel
A lot of classes teach you to shift into neutral when you experience a skid, but this is almost never a beneficial thing to do. Instead, keep your hands on the wheel. You’ll need them both there to help you recover.
Eliminate the Cause
If possible, get rid of the reason you’re skidding. If you started sliding because you sped up too quickly, take your foot off the gas pedal. A lot of times, eliminating the cause may not be possible, and even if it is possible, you’re still skidding, so the next couple of steps are the most important.
Steer Into the Skid…Sometimes
If you have rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, steering into the skid is your best bet. That means you need to turn the wheel in the same direction that your wheels are going. This should help correct the direction. If you’re driving a front-wheel vehicle and begin to skid, straighten the steering wheel out.
Trust the ABS
ABS systems exist for a reason, and they can come in handy when you start to lose control. If, when you press on the brakes, you get that stuttery feeling, that’s just the ABS doing its job! Keep pressing on the brakes while you steer into the skid whenever this is possible.
Prevention First
While those tips can help you recover from a skid with (hopefully) minimum damage, prevention is where you avoid damage entirely. The best way to prevent a skid is to pay attention. Pay attention to your surroundings, pay attention to the road conditions, and drive accordingly! Don’t drive too fast, or follow other vehicles too closely, or try to come out of a stop too aggressively. Take steering easy, and slow down around turns. In short, be careful!
If you find yourself facing vehicle damage at the hands of a skid that you couldn’t quite steer out of, contact the trusted team at Accurate Auto Body for your auto body repair.
