A locked wheel skid is most commonly caused by what condition?

• A. Brake hard to regain control
• B. Steer into the skid
• C. Turn wheel opposite of skid
• D. Ease off the brake and straighten the wheel

Answer: (D)

Locked wheel skids happen when braking is so hard that a wheel stops turning and slides instead of rolling. Once the tire is sliding, you lose steering control because tires only steer effectively when they’re rolling. The best way to recover is to ease off the brake just enough to release the lock and let the wheel start to rotate again, then straighten the wheel to stop the vehicle from veering or spinning. Once rolling, you can brake more gradually and steer toward your intended path. Braking harder simply locks the wheel more and worsens the loss of control, and steering while the wheel is locked doesn’t restore traction. The key is restoring rolling contact and a straight path.