What to do if you spin out

Published 2:18 pm Friday, December 19, 2014

While we’re on the topic of being prepared for hazardous weather on the road… Have you ever spun out on ice? I have, once. And once was enough.

I was a community college freshman on my way to carpool. I’m sure I was going too fast. I don’t remember exactly what happened, except that I managed to hit a prison van coming from the other direction and ended up in a ditch, still belted in my seat but staring up at the ceiling and wondering how my steering wheel got bent in half. Only a scraped knee, but my little Volkswagon Rabbit was totaled. (That thing had no radio, and we had to drill holes in the floor to drain all the water it collected, but it had a moon roof, man!)

So let’s do a “how to” review before ice returns, yes?

First, do the responsible-driver thing and take things slow, leave extra space between your vehicle and the one in front of you, and keep cruise control off.

If you do spin out:

Stay off the brake until the vehicle slows down enough for them to work, about 25 mph.

Steer in the direction you want to go. As soon as the vehicle begins to straighten out, turn the wheel the other way to avoid swinging around in the other direction and starting a new skid.

Continue to steer, correcting left and right, until the vehicle is again moving down the road under your control.

When you do use the brake — especially if you don’t have antilock brakes — use “threshold braking.” Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure to the threshold of locking your brakes.

The tips here come from the Washington State Driver’s Guide and AAA Washington.

And they’re true whether you have a Rabbit or a Range Rover.

Have a question? Email us at streetsmarts@heraldnet.com. Please include your name and city of residence. Look for updates on our Street Smarts blog.