If you are moving and your rear wheels break loose, you want to steer in the direction the rear has slid out to. Rear kicks right, front of car points left, steer right. If no ABS: foot off the gas, no brakes, until the car slows enough to regain control. If you have ABS, stand on the brakes until you feel better about the situation.
If you are moving and the front wheels lose traction, you’re going to continue going in the direction the car was moving, and steering doesn’t matter. You will need to slow down until the car regains traction (again, no gas/brakes without ABS, stand on the brakes with ABS), and not substantially steer until then, else the car jerk to one side unexpectedly when traction returns.
If you are sitting still and spinning the drive wheels, your steering should be pointed in the direction which offers the least resistance. That might get you out, but it’s more likely just one part of the puzzle. The drive wheels (front, rear, all) need to muster enough traction to get the vehicle on to a surface that has more traction. If you’re already spinning at a standstill, steering off of center will make it worse, but having the wheels straight may well not make it work.
Source: Been driving all kinds of vehicles in all kinds of weather in the upper midwest for forty years.
This is the correct explanation right here. Minnesota born and raised and I always heard as steer into your skid but it’s the same principle. When the back end kicks out you steer into the direction the back end swung out to.
In my much younger years during the winter we stopped turning on corners in the neighborhoods and just e-braked around them to “practice” driving in a skid.
In my much younger years during the winter we stopped turning on corners in the neighborhoods and just e-braked around them to “practice” driving in a skid.
I still drive a five speed with an e-brake handle in the middle and I do this every opportunity I get in the snow and ice.
If you are moving and your rear wheels break loose, you want to steer in the direction the rear has slid out to. Rear kicks right, front of car points left, steer right. If no ABS: foot off the gas, no brakes, until the car slows enough to regain control. If you have ABS, stand on the brakes until you feel better about the situation.
If you are moving and the front wheels lose traction, you’re going to continue going in the direction the car was moving, and steering doesn’t matter. You will need to slow down until the car regains traction (again, no gas/brakes without ABS, stand on the brakes with ABS), and not substantially steer until then, else the car jerk to one side unexpectedly when traction returns.
If you are sitting still and spinning the drive wheels, your steering should be pointed in the direction which offers the least resistance. That might get you out, but it’s more likely just one part of the puzzle. The drive wheels (front, rear, all) need to muster enough traction to get the vehicle on to a surface that has more traction. If you’re already spinning at a standstill, steering off of center will make it worse, but having the wheels straight may well not make it work.
Source: Been driving all kinds of vehicles in all kinds of weather in the upper midwest for forty years.
This is the correct explanation right here. Minnesota born and raised and I always heard as steer into your skid but it’s the same principle. When the back end kicks out you steer into the direction the back end swung out to.
In my much younger years during the winter we stopped turning on corners in the neighborhoods and just e-braked around them to “practice” driving in a skid.
There’s also the Scandinavian flick for bonus points.
I still drive a five speed with an e-brake handle in the middle and I do this every opportunity I get in the snow and ice.