Driver's License Test Prep
Oregon Practice Adverse Conditions

Your Oregon vehicle starts to skid on a slick road. What's the recovery procedure?

  1. A.
    Brake hard to stop the slide.
  2. B.
    Steer in the direction you want to go. Correct
  3. C.
    Pull the emergency brake.
  4. D.
    Steer opposite to the direction the vehicle is sliding.
The Why

The answer is "Steer in the direction you want to go."

Skids happen when the tires lose grip on the road, usually from driving too fast for conditions. The recovery is to stay off the brakes (until the vehicle slows, brakes are not effective and may worsen the skid) and steer in the direction you want the vehicle to go. As soon as the vehicle begins to straighten out, turn the wheel back the other way to avoid swinging into a new skid. Continue correcting left and right until the vehicle is again under control.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

A. Brake hard to stop the slide.

The manual says to stay off the brakes during a skid; until the vehicle slows, the brakes will not be effective. Misreading: Treats hard braking as the recovery, but the manual instructs the driver to stay off the brakes during a skid.

C. Pull the emergency brake.

The manual prescribes steering, not the parking brake; locking the rear wheels in a skid will usually make things worse. Misreading: Substitutes the parking brake for the manual's steering procedure, which the skid section does not endorse.

D. Steer opposite to the direction the vehicle is sliding.

The manual says to steer in the direction you want the vehicle to go, not opposite the slide. Misreading: Inverts the steering rule; the manual directs you to steer toward your intended path, not opposite the slide.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Adverse Conditions in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Skidding," p.79..

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