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Controlling your car in a skid cou;d mean the difference of life and death in some cases , so its a very important lesson to learn. There are many things you can do to aviod such accidents such as, slowing down before you go around a turn if its slippery or raining. Don't push the brakes hard if you know the road is slippery. Always drive with the conditions of the road in mind. When you find yourself in a slippery road situation DON'T PANIC, just concentrate on your driving and be prepared if you go into a skid, having practiced before can really help when a situation like this happens.

There are many causes for your car to go into a skid on the roads but usually it is due to weather and road conditions such as snow rain or ice. Even an abundance of water on the road can be turned into a waterslide. A light mist mixed with the oil on a road can make roads treacherous and send your car in a tail spin so it is essential that you know how to react. There are several reasons that can cause your car to enter a skid like braking on ice, speeding through puddles of water, or speeding around a corner when it is snowing although sometimes it can happen through no fault of your own. All of these reasons are justify knowing how to react when this happens.

When your car goes into a skid the first reaction is usually to panic, step on the brake or gas, jerk your steering wheel and fight against the skid which is all of the wrong things to do. This is when you need to get control of your feelings before you can get control of your vehicle. It is very important that you stay calm when you feel your wheels losing contact with the road.

When going into a skid you should go with it while removing your foot from the gas pedals slowly and try not to brake during the skid! By turning your wheel to drastically it could make you go into another skid in the other direction. If your wheels skid to the left then turn your steering wheel gently in that direction easing your foot off the gas if they go to the right then follow the same directions. This way the rear tires slow down enough to regain their grip on the road this will cause your vehicle to stop sliding, the vehicle will start to straighten out so you can slowly bring your wheel back to the center. The only time the brake should be used in a skid is when there is danger of running into another car but even using your brake then has to be done with great care and only tap the brake gently when doing so.

Impulse tells us that to steer in the direction of the skid does not make sense but it is the only way that you will come out of a skid safely. You feel like you should do the natural thing and go against the skid to try and bring your car back but this is wrong and all that will happen is your car doing donut spins and you losing complete control of your vehicle. Going with the skid works it's been proven time and again at driver safety sites. You can find an empty parking lot and practice this yourself it works every time. The more practice you get the better it will help you not to panic when a skid happens.

The bottom line to control a skid is going against your natural instincts, this is where you have to override what your instincts are telling you and do the opposite. Some of these decisions have to be split second ones so always be prepared. There are many driving schools that offer courses in hazardous condition driving. If you are unsure of what your reaction would be it could be a good investment to take one of these courses. This could certainly help you make the right moves to controlling your car in a skid.

Learn more about this author, Betty Carew.
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