What To Do if Your Car Starts to Skid

It’s one of the worst feelings — you are driving on a snowy, icy or wet road when suddenly the car starts to slide.

Do you know what to do if your car starts to skid?

The sudden loss of control is scary, but it’s important to stay calm. These simple moves can help get the car righted and your blood pressure back to normal.

What Causes Car Skidding?

Skidding occurs when tires lose their grip on the road, usually because ice, snow or water make the surface slippery, causing the car to be unable stop or to slide to one side. Driving too fast for the road conditions often contributes to a car skidding.

What To Do If Your Car Starts to Skid

If your car starts skidding, try not to panic. Slowly take your foot off the accelerator and look and steer in the direction you want to go, not the direction the car is heading.

“Your hands tend to follow your eyes, so looking toward a hazard almost guarantees you will hit it,” said AAA’s Car Doctor John Paul.

You generally want to avoid slamming the brakes, as this can lock the wheels and make the skid worse. However, antilock braking systems — which most cars have — are designed to prevent this from happening. If you know your vehicle is equipped with ABS, and you are skidding toward a crash, push the brake pedal down firmly to engage the brakes and keep steering in the direction you want the car to go. This will keep each wheel braking as hard as possible to try and gain traction, according to Car and Driver.

Once you have regained control of the car, slowly return to normal speed.

Car Shaking After a Snowstorm?

Your car may feel shaky after a snowstorm. This could be due to snow and ice being packed in your tires and wheel wells.

The ABS can also transmit a chunky or lumpy feeling through the brake pedal when driving on ice, which is normal, according to Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “The ABS can rapidly apply and release the brake as it tries to gain or hold traction, causing this sensation,” he said.

Remember, a car with all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive is not skid-proof. While these cars usually can accelerate without slipping, they still can slide if you are braking or turning.

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How to Prevent Skidding

To prevent a car from skidding, gentle pressure on the accelerator and brakes is essential.

“Slow and easy keeps the wheels from spinning,” Paul said.

AAA offers these additional tips:

• Don’t use cruise control when driving on slippery surfaces.

• Drive slowly. Always decrease your speed to account for reduced traction when driving on snow or ice. 

• Accelerate and decelerate gradually. Apply the gas slowly to regain traction and avoid skids. Don’t be in a hurry to start moving and take extra time to slow down for a stoplight. It takes longer to slow down on icy roads. 

• Increase your following distance. Allow at least 5 to 6 seconds of following distance between your vehicle and any vehicle in front of you. This space allows you time to stop safely if the other driver brakes suddenly. 

• Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal. 

• Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a significant difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it. 

• Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little momentum going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill slowly. Don’t stop going up a hill unless you must. 

• Watch the traffic ahead. Slow down immediately at the sight of brake lights, skidding vehicles or emergency flashers.

• Avoid unnecessary lane changes. This increases the chances of hitting a patch of ice between lanes, which could cause loss of vehicle traction.

• Minimize the need to brake on ice. If you are approaching a stop sign, traffic light or other area where ice often forms, brake early on clear pavement to reduce speed. Vehicle control is much more difficult when braking on ice-covered roadways.

• Do not brake and turn at the same time. Asking your vehicle to do two things at a time makes it more likely that your tires will lose traction. Brake first, then turn, then accelerate.

• Winter tires or all-weather tires also are a good defense against skidding.

If you need help after a slip, AAA Roadside Assistance is at your service 24/7.

Has your car ever been in a skid? What did you do to recover?

Ellen R. Delisio

Ellen is a content producer for AAA Northeast, covering automotive, finance, public affairs and electric vehicle news. She is a former newspaper reporter with experience writing for print and online publications about everything from higher education to sustainability. She recently returned to her native Long Island after living in Connecticut for 20-plus years, and has never met a beach she didn’t like.