Controlling a skid — Rhode Island Permit Test

When a vehicle begins to skid, the first step is to let off the gas.

Gas pushes power to wheels that have already lost their grip, which makes the slide worse.

To control a vehicle as it begins to skid:

During a skid, keep your foot away from the brake pedal (and the clutch, if you have one) and let the car slow gradually.

Stepping on the brake in a skid locks the wheels and turns a slide you could steer out of into one you cannot.

Keep your foot away from the brake pedal and the clutch (if applicable).

In a skid, look and turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the vehicle to go.

Drivers who stare at the pole they are sliding toward tend to steer right into it.

Look and turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the vehicle to go.

Be prepared to steer left and right a few times until the vehicle is completely under control.

One steering correction often swings the back end the other way, and a driver who is not ready for it spins out.

Be prepared to steer left and right a few times until you get your vehicle completely under control.

Skid techniques differ for front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive, so read your owner's manual before an emergency happens.

The middle of a slide on ice is no time to find out what your own car needs you to do.

Consult your owner’s manual for instructions before an emergency arises.

Your car begins to skid. What is the first thing to do?

Let off the gas. Gas pushes power to wheels that have already lost their grip, which makes the slide worse. Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, p.43: “To control a vehicle as it begins to skid:”