What to Do When Skidding on Ice (updated)

Driving in the winter can be highly dangerous, especially if you are not a seasoned or even a skilled driver. To avoid collisions with other vehicles or random trees, you must take the necessary precautionary measures. First, you must know how cold weather affects your car and prepare it for harsh winter driving conditions. And second, you need to know how to drive safely in the winter to avoid skidding on ice.

The danger of your car skidding on ice is greatest when the ice takes you by surprise. Since not all vehicles respond the same way to icy, slippery roads, learn how to handle your vehicle in all types of weather. To achieve that, read the owner’s manual to learn about your vehicle’s braking system and tire traction. You may also consider taking a winter driving course. Having the latest safety features on a new vehicle and/or knowing how to handle your car are good ways to keep control when your car hits ice and starts to skid.

What can you do if your car starts skidding on ice

If you find yourself skidding on ice, you need to act fast. You can do a few things to ensure you can get your car out of the skid quickly before sliding right off the road or, worse – skidding along the ice into another car and causing an accident. Too many accidents are caused by vehicles skidding on ice. Some of the worst pile-ups on US Interstates have been caused by a build-up of ice on the roads and by drivers who do not know how to get out of an ice skid.

Unfortunately, at the moment, there is often not much you can do to control your car manually. However, there are safety features that you can have installed in your car that will help prevent your car from skidding on ice.

Pre-emptive safety features to help you correct a skid

One of those new safety features is Electronic Stability Control. The function of ESC is to help drivers avoid crashes through sensors on the car that compare the direction of the steering wheel to the direction in which the vehicle is going. When they are not the same, and the vehicle begins to skid, ESC applies the brakes to one or more wheels or reduces engine power (or both) to help keep the vehicle under control.

ESC is automatically ON when you start the engine on your vehicle, but if it has an OFF switch, you should turn it off when you are stuck in deep snow. A dashboard light will remind you to turn ESC back on. To get ESC, you need to buy a vehicle that is already equipped with it – new or used, so it’s a good idea to ask your dealer about it when buying a car you intend to drive in an area with a lot of snow (like Canada).

More tips on what to do to prevent your car from sliding on ice

A good way to avoid skidding on ice is to drive in accordance with weather conditions and the weather. By SLOWING DOWN, you will travel longer, but you will also have more time to brake, change lanes, make turns and take curves on the road. This is particularly important when avoiding obstacles on the road – since panic maneuvering and braking can result in skidding.

So, what to do when potentially skidding on ice?
1. Learn to handle a skid: Practice the technique in a safe location until correcting a skid becomes a reflex. Remember that sometimes the vehicle will skid a second and even a third time before you regain complete control.
2. Avoid sudden moves: Avoid forceful braking or sudden, jerking movement of the wheel while driving in the snow or ice.
3.

Different ways your car can skid on ice

There are multiple types of skidding: front-wheel skids, rear-wheel skids and four-wheel skids:
1) Front-wheel skids
Front-wheel skids are caused by hard braking, acceleration or driving too fast for the road conditions. You can’t steer when the front wheels lose traction on the road, and this happens very fast if you hit a patch of ice. So-called ‘black ice’, a piece of very smooth ice, is the worst and the most likely culprit for a front-wheel ice skid. If this happens, to regain steering control of your car, you need to do the following:

• Release the brake if the front wheels skid from hard braking.
• Ease off the gas pedal if the front wheels lose traction.
• Shift to neutral (automatic) or push in the clutch (standard).
• Wait for the front wheels to grip the road again.
• Select drive (automatic) or release the clutch (standard).
• Accelerate gently.
• Drive at a safe speed.

2) Rear-wheel skids
A skid occurs when the rear wheels lock or lose traction. Ice can cause rear wheel skids by reducing the amount of friction between the tires and the road surface. When driving on ice, the tires cannot grip the road as well as they would go on a dry surface, which can quickly start a skid.

When you hit the brakes, the wheels lock up and continue to slide rather than slowing down the car. If you turn the wheel while braking, the loss of traction can cause the vehicle’s rear end to swing sideways.

This can also happen when accelerating on ice. The rear wheels may spin and lose traction, causing the vehicle to fishtail or slide sideways.
Overall, the reduced traction on ice can cause a loss of control of the vehicle, especially during braking and acceleration, leading to rear wheel skids and potentially dangerous situations.
To regain steering control, do this:

• Take your foot off the brake pedal if hard braking causes the rear wheels to skid.
• Ease off the gas pedal if the rear wheels lose traction.
• Shift to neutral (automatic) or push in the clutch pedal (standard).
• Look down the road in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go and be aware of the vehicle and how it is responding to your steering.
• To regain control, steer gently in the direction you want to go.
• Once the vehicle is straight, return to a driving gear.
• Accelerate gently.
• Drive at a safe speed.

3) Four-wheel skids
Sometimes, all four wheels lose traction – generally at high speeds or under poor road conditions. To regain steering control, follow these steps:

• Remove your foot from the brake or accelerator.
• Shift into neutral.
• Look and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go.
• Wait for the wheels to grip the road again.
• Return to the driving gear.
• Drive at a safe speed.

Don’t forget, you brave Canadian drivers – mount winter tires on all 4 wheels, ensure you’ve left enough space between your car and the one in front of you and stay calm while driving.

Finally, have your trusted mechanic inspect your car for winter driving conditions, so you can be sure you are safe in your vehicle. Come to our repair shops in Hamilton today!