Even careful drivers experience skids. You lose traction and your wheels spin or lock, usually when braking, cornering or accelerating. Skid-control maneuvers— and a calm approach — will help you regain control.

If the rear wheels lose traction, use these steps to regain control after a skid:

1. Take your foot off the brake if the rear wheels skid due to hard or panic braking. Ease off the gas pedal if the rear wheels lose traction due to hard acceleration (rear-wheel drive)
2. Shift to neutral.
3. Look and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go.
4. Just before the rear wheels stop skidding, countersteer until you are going in the desired direction. This requires gentle movement of the steering wheel to avoid a rear-wheel skid in the opposite direction.
5. Once the vehicle is straight, return to a driving gear and accelerate gently so that engine speed matches road speed.

Front-wheel skids are caused by hard braking or acceleration. When the front wheels lose traction, you lose steering ability. While this sounds dangerous, front wheel skids are easier to correct because there is no risk of the car skidding in the opposite direction.

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 (front-wheel drive)
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. Look and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go.
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.

Sometimes all four wheels lose traction— generally at high speeds under adverse conditions.

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 vehicle to go.
4. Wait for the wheels to grip the road again. As soon as the wheels regain traction, you will travel in the direction you want to go.
5. Return to a driving gear and maintain a safe speed.

Next: Putting on the Brakes >>