How To Avoid Winter Skids

The first winter storm of the year swept across the GTA on Thursday just in time for the morning rush hour wreaking havoc for motorists. Was your vehicle slipping and sliding on the roads? Your best bet is to strap on those winter tires.

“Winter tires give you a huge advantage in conditions like this, but many people wait until the first snowfall before they get theirs,” said Doug Annett from Skid Control School in Oakville.

“It absolutely works. It’s a cold rubber compound that basically sticks to the ice and snow conditions,” he said.

Besides getting the right tires it’s just as important to make a little extra effort to wipe down your car when you get to and from your destination.

“Clean your car properly when [you] get [to work] in the morning. Use your headlights so that other drivers might be able to see you better. Those are just simple things that anybody can do. It doesn’t require a lot of talent to scrape your windows.”

Rear Wheel Skids

1. Take your foot off the brake if the rear wheels skid due to hard or panic braking.
2. Ease off the gas pedal if the rear wheels lose traction due to hard acceleration.
3. Shift to neutral.
4. Look down the road in the direction you want the front of the car to go and be sensitive to the feel of the car and how it’s responding to your steering.
5. To regain control of the vehicle, steer gently in the direction of the skid of the rear of the vehicle. Just before the skid ends, bring the front wheels straight. Sometimes the vehicle will skid in the opposite direction, so you may have to repeat the movement until the vehicle stabilizes.
6. Once the vehicle is straight, return to a driving gear and accelerate gently so that engine speed matches road speed.

Front Wheel Skids

1. If the front wheels skid from hard braking, release the brake. If the wheels spin from loss of traction due to acceleration, ease off on the accelerator.
2. Shift to neutral.
3. If the front wheels have been turned prior to the loss of traction, don’t move the steering wheel. Since the wheels are skidding sideways, a certain amount of braking force will be extended.
4. Wait for the front wheels to grip the road again. When traction returns, you’ll regain steering control.
5. Return to a driving gear and gently steer in the direction you want to travel. Gently accelerate until engine speed matches road speed.

Four Wheel Skids

1. Remove your foot from the brake or accelerator.
2. Shift into neutral.
3. Look and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
4. Wait for the wheels to grip the road again. As soon as the wheels regain traction, you’ll wind up in the direction you want to go.
5. Return to a driving gear and maintain a safe speed.

ABS Braking

This one’s the opposite to the others. If you have the ABS System in your car, don’t pump the brakes or take your foot off the pedal. The system is designed to stop your wheels from locking if you slam to a stop, and allow you to continue to control the car.
If you do wind up pumping the brakes out of habit, they may pulse back against your foot as a reminder you’re not riding them right.