Question

When your vehicle begins to skid you should:

a. Brake or accelerate even more to "pull" your vehicle out of the skid
b. Ease off the brake or the accelerator and look and steer where you need your vehicle to go
c. Look at whatever you do not want to run into
d. Apply the emergency brake so the rear wheels will lock up and "pull" your vehicle out of the skid

Answer 1

To correct a vehicle skid, one should ease off the brakes or accelerator and steer in the intended direction. The dynamics of a skid relate to static and kinetic friction, with easing off the brake pedal before stopping preventing a stop due to a smooth transition between kinetic and static friction.

Step-by-step explanation:

When your vehicle begins to skid, the correct action to take is to ease off the brake or the accelerator and steer in the direction you need your vehicle to go (Option b). Looking at where you want to go, rather than the object you're attempting to avoid (target fixation), will help guide your reactions. Applying the emergency brake or braking/accelerating more could exacerbate the skid rather than remedy it. The dynamics of a skid are closely related to the concepts of static and kinetic friction; static friction is what keeps the car moving without sliding (when the tires rotate without slipping), and kinetic friction takes over once sliding begins. If you're driving and need to come to a stop, easing up on the brake pedal right before coming to a full stop can help transition smoothly from kinetic to static friction, preventing the car from to a stop.