What should you do if your vehicle starts to skid?

When your vehicle starts to skid, steering in the direction you want to go is the appropriate response. This technique, often referred to as "steering into the skid," helps to align the vehicle’s wheels with the direction of travel, thus allowing the tires to regain traction.

When you skid, either due to ice, snow, or other slippery conditions, your vehicle's rear end may slide out to one side. By turning the steering wheel in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go, you can counteract the skid. This action helps stabilize the vehicle and can often allow for a smoother recovery and a return to safe driving conditions.

Other options might seem plausible but can worsen the situation. Accelerating could lead to a loss of control, while braking hard could cause further skidding or make the situation more dangerous. Turning off the engine is not advisable since it would disable critical driving systems, leaving you without power steering and potentially affecting other control mechanisms. Thus, steering in the direction you want to go is the safest and most effective response to regain control during a skid.