23 Skidoo (Skidding on Slippery Surfaces)

23 Skidoo (Skidding on Slippery Surfaces)

Your car can sometimes go into a skid when roads are wet, which can be a scary feeling. It’s okay to admit you might be scared. We won’t make fun. Ha! Wuss.

If you do start to skid on water or ice, let your foot gently off the gas pedal, stop braking, and turn into the direction of the skid to right your vehicle. If this still isn’t getting the trick done, panic. Excellent—got that out of your system? Okay, good. Next, seek out something nearby that isn’t slippery and may help slow you down. Hopefully there is a patch of dry, solid ground nearby, but if not you may have to attempt to maneuver your vehicle into a bush, sand bank, or sleeping tiger to bring it to rest. Guiding your car into a sleeping tiger isn’t ideal, but you may have to take your chances with pissing him off rather than steering into oncoming traffic. Lock your doors, though.

Make a Clean Brake

If your brakes have gotten soaked and you need to dry them, lightly press the gas and brake at the same time. Your vehicle will briefly drive against the pressure of the brakes, and this will air them out. If they’re still soggy, take a hair-dryer to them, or wipe them down with paper towels. Bounty really is the best.

So that you don’t have to deal with that business in the first place, simply drive slowly on slippery roads, and take your turns carefully, decreasing your speed even more than usual. Don’t make any sudden stops; we can respect your love of squirrels, but that little guy shouldn’t be out in this storm anyway. And try to stay away from especially slippery areas like patches of ice, wet leaves, and swarms of eels.