One of the scariest challenges during the winter driving season is getting safely out of a skid. Skidding commonly occurs when you apply the brakes so hard that one or more wheels lock, or when you encounter a slippery surface while traveling too quickly on a curve. Even if you take it easy on the brakes and slow down in icy road conditions, you may still find yourself in this situation.

Your vehicle’s drivetrain can affect what kind of skid you’ll experience. Rear-wheel-drive vehicles tend to lose grip at the rear. Front-wheel-drive vehicles typically “push,” meaning you keep going straight when you want to turn. All-wheel-drive cars usually offer excellent traction and don’t slide on icy roads easily, unless you drive way beyond what weather conditions dictate.

To maximize stopping power and maintain control, squeeze the brakes with your toes—the antilock braking system (ABS) technology will prevent your brakes from locking up. With your heel on the floor, squeeze the brake pedal gently with your toes. The antilock system will make the pedal pulsate. Don’t panic, this is normal. Continue to apply braking pressure. If your car doesn’t have antilock brakes, you need to use the following threshold braking technique: Squeeze the brake pedal with your toes, and, when you feel the wheels begin to lock, ease off the pressure slightly and hold it there.

The best way to handle a skid is to avoid one. Learn how to predict where and when icy conditions may be present. Train your eye to detect black ice by watching the spray on your windshield. Black ice usually forms on wet pavements when the temperature drops to freezing and the salt trucks haven’t yet treated the road. During the day, run-off from melting snow may form black ice under bridges or in other shady spots. At night, it may form during drizzle or other damp conditions when the pavement reaches freezing temperatures before the layer of air just above it.

AAA’s brochure, How to Go on Ice and Snow, recommends these tips that we’ve tailored to specific drivetrains:

Rear-Wheel-Drive
➊ Keep your eyes on where you want to go, not on the tree you hope not to hit.
➋ Steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
➌ Reduce speed by easing off the gas. Avoid slamming on the brakes, which will upset the vehicle’s balance and make it harder to regain control.
➍ Be prepared for the vehicle to spin around in the opposite direction when it regains traction. Continue to steer in the direction you want to go to avoid a rear-wheel skid.

Front-Wheel-Drive
➊ Look and steer in the direction you want to go.
➋ Reduce speed. Avoid slamming on the brakes.
➌ Wait for the front wheels to regain traction.
➍ When grip is restored, steer gently in the desired direction of travel.

All-Wheel- and 4-Wheel-Drive
➊ AWD cars can experience both skid types mentioned above, so the same techniques apply.
➋ 4WD pickups and SUVs have a higher center of gravity, making them prone to rollovers. You recover from a skid in these vehicles by using the procedures mentioned above, but it’s extremely important to be very gentle with the steering—no sudden push, pull or jerking of the wheel. Otherwise, the vehicle could lose its balance and result in a dangerous rollover.