MOTORING NEWS - One of the most common causes of road incidents is skidding. It can be the result of an oil slick, wet roads or taking a corner poorly. A skid happens when your tyres lock and the vehicle slides, feeling out of control.
There are several driver-related causes for skidding:
Overbraking: braking too hard and locking up the wheels.
Skids can also occur when the road is slippery.
Oversteering: turning the wheels more sharply than the vehicle can turn.
Over-accelerating: supplying too much power to drive the wheels, causing them to spin.
Driving too fast: most serious skids result from driving too fast for road conditions.
Drivers who adjust their driving to conditions do not over-accelerate and do not have to overbrake or oversteer from too much speed.
Here's what to do if you find yourself in a skid:
- Take your foot off the accelerator. This throws the weight balance of the car forwards and helps the tyres find grip.
- Don't brake! The tyres will start to find grip as the car's speed slows down.
- Carefully steer the car into the direction of the skid - so if your car skids to the right, steer to the right.
Tips supplied by Suzuki
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