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1. INTRODUCTION
2. CAUSES
3. TYPES OF SKID
The main types of skid that a driver could encounter on the
public highway fall into three categories.
1) The front wheel skid.
2) The rear wheel skid.
3) The four wheel skid.
3.1.1.Characteristics
The car tends to take a course outside of the expected course
that the driver has steered (understeer); see figure 1. If the front
tyre approaches the traction limit more rapidly, the effect is that the
front of the car takes a wider radius curve than the driver intended.
The car is said to understeer.
3.1.2. Cause
Excess speed on entry to a hazard i.e. a corner or bend, or
sudden braking to reduce the speed when negotiating the hazard.
Both of these actions will have the effect of destabilising the
vehicle making it more vulnerable to a loss of control.
3.2.1. Characteristics
The rear of vehicle swings out of line and gives the
impression of trying to overtake the front (oversteer); see figure 2.
If the rear tyres approach their traction limit more rapidly than the
front, then the effect is for the rear of the car to steer a wider path
than the front wheels. This rotates the car more than the driver
intended and, if nothing is done, leads to the car turning a smaller
radius corner. When this occurs the car is said to oversteer.
3.2.2. Cause
As with the front wheel skid, excessive speed into the
hazard and sudden braking or acc-eleration with a rear wheel drive
vehicle, destabilising the vehicle, are the main causes of this skid.
3.3.1. Characteristics
All four wheels have locked up and the vehicle is sliding in
the direction that the forward momentum is carrying it, with no
directional control; see figure 3. Both front and rear wheel skids, if
unchecked sufficiently early, can develop into four wheel skids.
3.3.2. Cause
Harsh or sudden braking has caused the wheels to lock. A
sensation of increase in the vehicle’s speed often occurs.
Figure 4
Figure 5
In each case, the cause can be removed by taking the foot off
the accelerator or brake and depressing the clutch. The reasons are
as follows:-
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