How To Prevent Your Car’s Tires From Skidding
Most people attribute skidding to reckless driving. They imagine young drivers swinging around sharp corners or traveling at unsafe speeds. While these factors can play a role, there are other contributing influences that place millions of motorists at risk.
In this article, I’ll explain the most common reasons vehicles skid. They include road conditions, the health of your tires, and a few additional factors that may surprise you. I’ll also provide a few tips for maintaining control of your car, providing better safety for you and your passengers.
Where The Rubber Meets The Road
The likelihood of skidding is a direct result of the friction between the road and your tires. The surface on which you’re driving influences the amount of friction that exists. For example, a given street may offer more coarseness and thereby, more friction than other streets. On the other hand, smooth concrete will offer far less friction.
Aside from the road’s surface, weather conditions can also influence the amount of friction. For instance, a road that is normally coarse will offer less friction if it is covered in water. It will offer even less if it is covered in snow or ice. Less friction translates into a higher likelihood of a skid.
Your Tires
It won’t surprise you that the treads on your tires influence their grip on the roadway. Heavier treads will always provide more friction than worn treads. This is the reason safety experts recommend buying new tires when your treads wear down.
The pressure within your tires and their temperature can also influence their ability to grip the road. Both underinflation and overinflation tend to reduce the amount of available friction. Moreover, if your tires are too hot, they will soften. If this occurs, they will be less able to maintain their grip.
Other Contributing Factors
The speed and trajectory of your car both play roles in your ability to prevent skidding. In effect, a quicker pace in a direction that is inconsistent with the roadway makes a skid more likely.
Related to your vehicle’s trajectory, the manner in which you steer during a skid will either alleviate or exacerbate the situation. A lot of inexperienced motorists will turn their steering wheels too far in order to compensate, making the skid worse.
Tips For Maintaining Control
If you’re caught in a skid, the most important thing you can do is to focus on where you want to go. Ignore objects you suspect you’ll hit (i.e trees, curbs, other vehicles, etc.). Instead, look toward the space at which you would like to end up. Doing so will help you make the counterintuitive move that most drivers neglect: to steer in the direction you’re skidding.
You should also apply acceleration during the skid. This too, will seem counterintuitive, but it helps your tires regain their grip on the roadway. You’ll then notice a small pause as your vehicle regains its balance. Continue to point your tires in the direction of the space at which you would like to arrive.
The takeaway is that skidding is a direct result of a loss of friction between your tires and the road. If your treads are worn, replace them. If you find yourself in a skid, follow the instructions above to right your vehicle and remain safe.