SKIDDING AND SKIDS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 6, 6 July 1935, Page 32

SKIDDING AND SKIDS

THE ROADS IN WINTER

HANDLING OF THE CAR'

Owing to many causes skidding dangers are more threatening in the winter months than during most of the year. Instead of regarding skidding as a tendency on the part of the car which he is powerless to avoid, however, the motorist should regard it as a problem in driving that he has to overcome. Skids can be corrected, many of them quite easily, but much better is it to avoid skids, and this can generally be done if one's knowledge of road surfaces and the car is good enough and the sense of anticipation keen. A skid should never be incurred voluntarily in ordinary driving unless some emergency demands it. Accidents have often been prevented by drivers who know how to make a. car skid, and how to control the

skid when it is set up. ,It is • well to bear in mind, however, that it is much easier to create a skid than correct one.' ' There are various kinds of skid. Most frequently it takes the form of the rear of the car 'trying to slew round and „ become the front. This arises from" loss of adhesion of-the rear wheels with the road surface. Sometimes, however, lit/is the front wheels that lose adhesion, and occasionally all four wheels. Both kinds are much more difficult' to deal with than the rear-wheel skid. Common causes of skidding are water, mud, clime, ice, or snow on the ,road surface. Loose gravel is a frequent cause, and patches of oil often throw the car into quite violent skids. . A driver should be alert to oil; it is always in evidence on roads where traffic is heavy and lorries and buses form a large part of it. ' Oil is very dangerous on paved surfaces. A prolific cause of skidding on the part of the rear wheels is taking corners too fast, the weight of the car owing to its momentum, tending to go straight on. The front wheels travel in the direction to which they are steered, giving the rear of the car opportunity to slew round to the front. The danger is greater where there is no banking, or where the road camber is falling away. Another prolific cause of these skids is. braking a car, on which a'larger proportion of, the braking power is applied to the rear wheels. For reasons unnecessary to enter into here most cars are so arranged for ordinary road use. Some drivers aim at having all wheels' equally braked and a few have,a larger proportion of the braking power on the front wheels. So arranged, cars have less tendency to, rear-wheel skid when the brakes are applied, but they have increased tendency to lose adhesion in front, and, unfortunately, front-wheel skids are exceedingly dangerous. This is because steering is lost and correction made very difficult, and sometimes even impossible, in time to avert accident. Novice drivers should take, note that it is not for nothing that manufacturers send out their cars with the braking arranged to the advantage of the. rear wheels, and . the so-called "emergency" brake fitted to act on the rear wheels only. ■ ■■ ' An uneven road surface or excessive camber will often cause a skid.' These conditions are greatly aggravated if the tires are worn, presenting a smooth tread instead of the heavy-pat-terned one with which they commence their life. Good tires should always be used in the winter months; indeed, winter is the best time to fit new. tires, many causes contributing to an absence Of wear and the tires remaining in good 'order for the heavy demands of summer. It is a mistake to buy new tires for the summer and. then expect them to do winter duty; better economy and better motoring is achieved by reversing that practice. The most dangerous kind of skid, as already mentioned,' is the front wheel one. There are two main causes; first, a greater proportion of the braking effect being arranged to apply to the front wheels; second, too sudden locking over of the front wheels on a greasy corner, or in an attempt to avoid something. Skidding is corrected by restoring road adhesion on. the part of the wheels. To correct a rear-wheel skid it is necessary to steer into the skid, so blocking, as it were, the rear swerve and causing the rear wheels to pick up a forward ( roll, when the car should at once be returned to its proper course. The correction is quickly done; indeed, the response is so quick that practice is required—quite a lot of it —for the novice will find that he overcorrects the skid and sets up another

slithering about with a waggling tail, vehicles with hard, flattish tires which made road adhesion bad. Such driving looked improper and threatening, but actually it was good. The driver was merely handling skid. It takes knowledge to keep such a vehicle on a reasonably straight path under many of the conditions under which, they operate. Loading' plays a large part and has many lessons for people who crowd up their cars, particularly the running boards and carrier at the rear. Every vehicle should be "trimmed" as regards its load. Complaints are common about lorry drivers who hug the crown of the road, but generally the road is more to blame than the carrier. The crown is the only part that affords an even keel.

Eoom ,is required in which to correct a skid. If a car is close to the edge of a road and a skid sets up in the direction of that edge, speedy action is needed. If there is no room to correct the skid the best course—indeed, the only one—is at once to overcorrect. This is done by steering hard into the skid, at the same time applying the rear brakes, causing the back of the car to slither" across towards the road centre, bringing the vehicle face about, but safe. This can be done if one has the road to oneself, but, unfortunately, that is not always the case.

Except in such emergency, keep the feet off the brakes. Rear-wheel skidding is promoted, not ' reduced, by brake application. Also, take the foot from the accelerator pedal; the car must not be driven. Rely on steering, allowing the wheels freedom to pick up a rolling motion. A driven wheel will not easily pick up traction in a

skid; worse still, if it did the car might plunge forward in the direction to which it is being steered, a danger as great, or greater, than the original disease. The car might plunge forward straight off the road, or, if the skid is in the other direction, head into opposing traffic or even dash right across to disaster on the other side. To correct front-wheel and fourwheel skidding it is necessary to pick up the steering. Everything, here, depends on the circumstances. The safest course for the novice.is again to avoid braking and acceleration; but the practised hand may use some of both or either. The main thing to accomplish is adhesion of the front wheels with the surface —rolling motion. This is obtained by "waggling" the steering, giving the front wheels a chance to pick up .roll in some kind of forward direction. An application of the brakes, provided they act first on the rear wheels, may help; otherwise a touch on the accelerator pedal. In some cases a quick pull on the handbrake may be effective. There .is very little time in which to act, and no theoris.ing will help much without a great deal of practice. Rear-wheel skidding may be practised on the open road, if one has it to oneself, but drivers would be wise not to attempt front-wheel skids unless special provision has been made for practice. Some day motorists will have driving schools and places to experiment in and learn with safety. , There is really no safety, as regards either^ front-wheel or four-wheel skids, other than anticipation and avoidance. Approach danger spots warily; do not brake and do^not drive. "Waggle" the steering very lightly;: the • wheel will communicate through the hands just what, is taking place,, and just how much control is threatened or lost. There is virtue ■in the "waggle." Violent movement must be avoided, only a light touch being required. Beware of driving with a heavy hand. Slow down for corners and do not attempt to pass in bad places or where there is not plenty of room. Keep' well clear of other vehicles; Never brake violently or suddenly, or when rounding a bend.; As far as possible avoid tram rails, and be always alert to the condition of the road surface. Steer gently. All, these things and others like theni play a big part in safe motoring.