An acceleration skid occurs when the gas pedal is applied too quickly. A locked wheel skid occurs when you brake too hard at a high rate of speed. Which option correctly completes this statement?

An acceleration skid occurs when the gas pedal is applied too quickly. A locked wheel skid occurs when you brake too hard at a high rate of speed. Which option correctly completes this statement?

• A. When the gas pedal is applied too quickly.
• B. When brakes are applied too hard.
• C. When the steering is jerked.
• D. When the tires lose air pressure.

Answer: (A)

An acceleration skid happens when you push the gas pedal too quickly, causing the tires to spin and lose traction before the vehicle gains traction and speed. The statement is completed by that exact idea—the tires can’t grip the road fast enough when throttle is applied abruptly, so you lose control momentarily as the drivetrain breaks traction. If you brake too hard at high speed, you get a locked wheel skid, which is a different situation where the wheels stop rotating and slide. Steering jerk can create instability but isn’t the mechanism of an acceleration skid, and low tire pressure reduces overall grip rather than defining a rapid-acceleration loss of traction. To prevent acceleration skids, apply throttle smoothly and gradually, especially on slick surfaces, to keep the tires from spinning.

An acceleration skid happens when you push the gas pedal too quickly, causing the tires to spin and lose traction before the vehicle gains traction and speed. The statement is completed by that exact idea—the tires can’t grip the road fast enough when throttle is applied abruptly, so you lose control momentarily as the drivetrain breaks traction.

If you brake too hard at high speed, you get a locked wheel skid, which is a different situation where the wheels stop rotating and slide. Steering jerk can create instability but isn’t the mechanism of an acceleration skid, and low tire pressure reduces overall grip rather than defining a rapid-acceleration loss of traction. To prevent acceleration skids, apply throttle smoothly and gradually, especially on slick surfaces, to keep the tires from spinning.