Your vehicle begins to skid. What steering action does the manual say to take?
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A.
Turn the wheel toward the shoulder and coast off the road.
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B.
Steer opposite the direction of the skid to counter the motion.
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C.
Steer into the direction of the skid until you regain traction. Correct
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D.
Hold the wheel straight and press hard on the brake.
The answer is "Steer into the direction of the skid until you regain traction."
The manual says to ease off the gas or brakes and steer into the direction of the skid until traction returns, then straighten the wheel. Choice B follows the older 'turn opposite the skid' rule some drivers were taught in another state or driving school, which reads as correct because it feels like counter-steering the slide.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Turn the wheel toward the shoulder and coast off the road.
The manual does not tell a skidding driver to leave the roadway. This answer borrows the pull-off habit drivers use after a blowout, which the manual keeps separate from skids.
B. Steer opposite the direction of the skid to counter the motion.
Turning the wheel against the skid pulls the tires away from the vehicle's motion and deepens the slide. This answer applies the older 'turn opposite the skid' rule taught outside the manual, which feels like a counter-steer should work.
D. Hold the wheel straight and press hard on the brake.
Braking hard while sliding locks the wheels and eliminates the traction you are trying to recover. This answer treats a skid like a stopping problem, when the brake pedal is often what caused it.
This question tests your knowledge of Adverse Conditions in Illinois. Source: Illinois Rules of the Road, "Special Driving Situations and Hazards: Skidding," p.87..
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