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

SKIDDING FOR SAFETY information with which he ought to be acquainted. Even with a careful driver, every now and then occa- sions crop up where a sudden brake application is necessitated through the unanticipated action of a third party, and then a skid of the rear wheels is a very likely sequence. It is, therefore, well to know how to control such a skid, and to take full advantage of the possibilities which it carries with it. A lack of know- ledge may mean dashing one’s wheel against the kerb- stone and perhaps breaking it, or at any rate putting it out of truth, damaging the wheel against the side of some other vehicle, or even running into some person, and in the face of all, greater braking effect can be obtained by controlling this skidding, whilst probably avoiding the hypothetical damage mentioned. The Art of Skidding for Safety It is only after some little deliberation that it is deemed advisable to deal with this subject, as in the eyes of some readers it might appear in an exactly opposite sense to that in which it is intended to be taken. The last thing the writer wishes to do is to lead any driver to start taking right-angle corners or sharp bends by skidding round them, or, on the.other hand, to turn round in the road ready to go back in the direction from which he has come by means of waltz- ing ’ ’ his car round. Such manœuvres should never be carried out or attempted except in a case of emergency where no other conceivable means can secure safety. Unfortunately, even yet, there are so many inexperi- enced drivers on the road that the most experienced and careful motorists are frequently thrust into posi- tions of great danger through no fault whatsoever of their own. The knowledge of how to produce and utilize a vio- lent skid has on many occasions been the means of preventing the writer from being the partner in an accident, and it can honestly be stated that in only one case did he feel that the imminence to danger was his own fault in any shape or form. However, giving the circumstance the fullest consideration afterwards, the