Final answer:
In a skid, take your foot off the accelerator and steer into the skid's direction without quickly turning the wheel. The vehicle follows a straight line path tangent to the curve due to Newton's first law when friction is inadequate.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the rear end of a vehicle starts to slide, a motorist should take his/her foot off the accelerator. When a car slides due to a low coefficient of friction on a surface like ice, it is unable to maintain the centripetal force required for turning. Instead, the vehicle will continue in a straight line path tangent to the curve at the point where the friction was lost, according to Newton's first law of motion. This is because without sufficient friction, there is insufficient centripetal force to keep the car moving in a circular path.
When handling a skid, it is crucial not to quickly turn the steering wheel away from the direction of the skid. Doing so can cause the vehicle to spin. To recover from a rear-end skid, one should steer gently into the direction of the skid while easing off the accelerator, to regain traction and control of the vehicle. During this time, the car's motion obeys the laws of uniform circular motion and centrifugal force.