14 Ten Things Every Driver Needs To Know

Recovering from a slide

If, mid-spin, all you see is a menacing guardrail, it’s a near certainty that you’re going to hit it. Keeping your eyes on the road, focused on where you want to be rather than on the object toward which you’re going, is paramount.

Turn the steering wheel toward where your eyes are, and keep it there. Don’t worry about how far to turn the wheel; thanks to the magic of hand-eye coordination, if your eyes are in the right place, you’ll steer to the right place.

Provided you’re not getting sideways because of an overenthusiastic use of throttle, what you need to do is accelerate carefully, which will force the car to rock back onto the rear wheels, and give the tires the added traction needed to regain control. As the car begins to straighten out, smoothly apply the brakes, and pat yourself on the back.