What are the four types of skids?

• A. Braking, cornering, power, and hydroplaning
• B. Oversteer, understeer, yaw, and spin
• C. Lockup, fade, hydroplaning, and commotion
• D. Pavement slip, skid, slide, drift

Answer: (A)

Skids happen when tires lose traction in four common driving situations: braking hard, entering or negotiating a turn, applying too much power, and riding on a wet surface. A braking skid occurs when you slam on the brakes on a slick surface and the tires reach the limit of friction, causing the vehicle to slide instead of stopping in the intended direction; the fix is to ease off the brakes and restore grip before steering. A cornering skid happens when you enter a curve too quickly or brake while turning, so the tires can’t follow the path and the car slides; the remedy is to slow down before the turn and apply smooth steering to regain control. A power skid arises when you accelerate aggressively on loose or wet pavement, causing the tires to spin; ease off the throttle and reapply power gradually once traction returns. Hydroplaning skid happens on a wet road when a film of water separates the tires from the road surface, reducing contact; slow down gradually, avoid sudden steering or braking, and let the vehicle regain traction before continuing. Other choices mix terms that describe different vehicle dynamics or unrelated concepts, so they don’t represent the standard four skid types.