How To Drive A Motorcar
A Key To The Subtleties Of Motoring

CHAPTER XII Skidding: Its Dangers and Safety THE majority of motorists, in the course of their experience, happen upon the day in which they have a big surprise owing to the occurrence of a bad skid or sideslip. Many drivers habitually take such liberties with their well-mannered car that it is frequently on the point of breaking away from its good behaviour into misbehaviour, being no longer able to withstand the treatment to which it is subjested. On such an occasion, if the driver experiences a bad skid, he is generally lucky if he gets out of it without harm to himself or his car. Unfortunately, nomenclature in motoring mattars is of an uncertain type, and “ skidding ” is generally looked upon as the correct phraseology for either a skid or a sideslip. As a matter of fact, they are quite different, but for the purpose of this article, beyond recording the inaccuracy, we will go but little further, treating the matter in the broadly-accepted meaning of the word. Before going into the subject further, however, it may be well just to point out that skidding really maans the rotation of one or both of ths rear wheels in a forward or backward direction, minus the correspond- ing movement in the car’s progress. Slithering to the side of the road through any cause whatever is a side- slip, and should not be confused with a skid. How- ever, it may be accepted as a fact that a skid in itself is a prima facie cause of sideslip, and it is with the latter phase of driving that we wish to deal. Now, in a sideslip, which in future we will call “ skidding,” there is on occasion both a distinct ele- ment of danger and a distinct element of safety. In 104