Dealing with Skids

It's best to avoid driving in icy conditions, of course — but sometimes we can't help being caught in a storm. Here are some practical driving tips to help avoid getting into an accident when the weather turns wicked:

Drive slowly and avoid jerky movements. Change directions gradually. Any abrupt lane change or sudden steering input will throw the weight of the car around and that could be just enough to overcome whatever little traction you've got, resulting in a spinout or slide.

Triple your distance. Even if you have four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, your vehicle's ability to stop or just slow down on ice and snow is no better than any other car's. Double or triple your "following" distance between yourself and the vehicle ahead of you. This will give you more time to slow down — and more time to consider worst-case alternatives (such as steering into a ditch rather than piling into the car ahead).

Use momentum to your advantage. In other words, keep moving —  IF it is safe to do so —  on uphill roads and do not stop completely at stop signs. While it's important to obey traffic laws, sometimes common sense overrides mindless obeisance to rules. Thus, if you come to a stop sign at the top of a hill with several cars coming up behind you, it's stupid to come to a complete stop and risk either getting stuck or, worse, sliding back down the hill. Assuming you can clearly see the intersection and there are no other cars attempting to come through, a "rolling stop" in such circumstances is safer and sounder than risking the loss of your traction and forward momentum.

Don’t lock up. On cars without anti-lock brakes, depress the brake pedal gradually and smoothly. If you sense the wheels about to lock up, back off the pedal and downshift the transmission into a lower gear. This "engine braking" effect will help slow the car without causing a wheel to lock up; it works with both manual and automatic transmissions.

On ABS-equipped vehicles, it's okay to push the pedal to the floor because the anti-lock brake system will automatically prevent the wheels from locking up and the vehicle should therefore not go into a dangerous skid. Simply brake and steer the car in the direction you wish to go.

Steer into a skid. When you do lose traction, the ends of your car will start to slide and possibly rotate. If this happens, back off the gas and attempt to regain control by steering in the direction of the skid. Often, just backing off the gas will cause the car to stop fishtailing. Avoid the temptation to hit the brakes in a skid; this will only make it worse. Steer your way out of it and don't panic.