Skid Control, Braking, and Emergencies
Skid Control, Braking, and Emergencies tests how you recover from skids, brake a heavy vehicle without locking wheels, and respond to blowouts, fires, and brake failure.
Core rules
- If wheels lock, release enough brake pressure to let them roll and regain steering.
- For a rear-wheel skid, ease off the accelerator and steer in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go. Avoid hard braking and overcorrecting.
- For a front-wheel skid, release the brake and steer where you want to go.
- Controlled braking means applying the brakes as hard as possible without locking wheels. Stab braking means applying fully, releasing when wheels lock, and reapplying.
- Use engine braking and retarders correctly; be aware of brake fade on long downgrades.
- Tire blowout: hold the steering wheel firmly, avoid hard braking, and slow gradually. Fire: stop, shut off the engine, get out, and call for help. Runaway: use an escape ramp.
Worked example
On wet pavement the rear of your truck skids left. You ease off the accelerator and steer left-toward the direction you want the front to go. Hard braking would transfer weight and worsen the skid. Once aligned, straighten the wheel and slow gradually.
Traps
Steering away from the skid; locking the brakes; using the parking brake to stop a skid; staying in a high gear on a downgrade.