Evening star., 1936-02-09

It cannot always be prevented,
greatly lessen the danger and thus
should be studied by all motorists IN
the interests of safety.
Accordingly follows the opinion of
Frederick c. Russell, noted and wide
ly quoted driving authority, whose
signed stories have appeared in The
Star from time to time.
Five distinct kinds of skidding-not
O mere three as generally assumed
plague the automobile driver and must
be continually guarded against if he
Is to be successful in his struggle for
safety awneel, Mr.. Russell states.
While there have been improvements
in cars a. well as the roads over
which they travel new standards of
performance and new customs in driv-
ing have brought the skidding hazard
into sharper relief than ever before.
A modern skid may take driver
hopelessly beyond the ditch.
Despite scientific research which
would reduce all car skidding to three
basic types, it is generally conceded
among experienced users of the road
that there are five distinct types of
skids, each of which must be fully
understood in order to be intelligently
avoided. Two of these. the steering
skid and the balance skid, are so little
understood even by many persons who
have driven for years it Is the wonder
Of all safety-minded observers that
driving today is not just one crackup
after another. Even the other three
more common kinds of traction loss,
the plain slide, the braking slue and
the power slue, are not by any stretch
of the imagination thoroughly familiar
to those who believe that complete
mastery of their cars requires merely
the will to drive intelligently.
Five basic kinds of skids-and still
the average driver thinks of skidding
as merely something that goes wrong
with the cars grip on the road when
he slams on the brakes indiscrimin-
ately!
The steering skid comes into the
picture as result of unwise direc-
to manifest itself when car is sent
into a curve too fast. Instead of the
rear end of the car starting to slide
around to the front the entire car
merely continues in a straight line.
Though the driver may cut the front
wheels sharply in the direction of the
curve the front tires fail to get trac-
pafn he ~ LyY1ny
car is off the road.
Any sudden change in the direction
of travel of the front wheels is apt to
throw a car into a skid when road
surface conditions are hazardous.
The steering skid occurs frequently
when a driver is in process of over
taking another car. Here it usually is
combined with power skid, the
driver sending too much power to the
rear wheels as he pulls out to over
take the car ahead. When traction is
at low ebb steering must be given as
much consideration as braking.
A common steering skid is seen in
cases where drivers are too eager to
check an ordinary skid. The rule is
to check a skid by Immediately cut
ting the front wheels in the direction
the rear wheels are sliding. 1t is not
generally known, however, that this
handling of the steering wheel should
be quicker and more extreme the
heavier the car. If the front wheels
are cut too sharply, or too suddenly,
where a light car is involved the
chances are that the car will imme-
diately 60 into counter skid. This
secondary skid, In the opposite direc-
ton, will be due to bad steering, not
to incorrect handling of power braking.
Cars are apt to go into skid If
they are thrown out Of balance. Here
again unwise handling Of the steer
ing gear, transmission, throttle or
brakes is the basis of the trouble. It
is possible to skid car by stopping
1t too abruptly, even though the
wheels do not slide as result of lock-
ing. Balance is important on curves
or where the roadway is rough. Bal
ance is so important that it involves
distribution of passenger weight. Cars
that are inherently prone to skidding
usually have poor weight distribution.
This sometimes can be partly cor
rected through more skillful placing
of passengers, front or rear, when the
streets are slippery.
A plain slide is so simple that many
drivers completely overlook its dan
gers. In fact, it is possible for driver
l. Ia ~k~ ;rI-k oh xr,itl
ing that the wheels have locked. He
may think the brakes are not holding
properly, thus pressing harder on the
pedal and making matters worse. A
quick check on this type Of skid can
be had by glancing at the speed
ometer. If the rear wheels have
locked, the speedometer will immedi-
ately register zero even though the
car is in motion. Plain slides are due
to one of several causes; too much
braking force, too much braking
power on the rear, worn tires or too
high speed for road conditions.
When too much power is delivered
30 the rear wheels the car is as apt
to skid as If the brakes had been
slammed on while going into a curve.
Power skidding Is treacherous because
It develops where least expected. 1t
always makes the cars rear end slue
around to one side or the other, due
to the action of the differential.
Finally, comes the braking slue. It
can often be corrected by power skid
properly applied. That is, by applying
O little power. the car sometimes can
be righted when it starts to slide.
Braking skids usually are due to in
correct brake adjustment, uneven tire
treads, stopping on crowned roads and
complicating the situation with care
less steering.
BY knowing these kinds Of skidding
the provident driver can keep on the
straight and narrow path known as
safety.
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