Skids, emergencies, fires and crashes
Most serious skids come from driving too fast for conditions. Over-braking, over-steering and over-accelerating cause them too. If your drive wheels skid, take your foot off the accelerator and stop braking so the wheels can roll again, then steer where you want to go and be ready to countersteer.
In an emergency, steering is often faster than stopping. If you need to swerve, steering right is usually safest, since it keeps you out of oncoming traffic. If you have to leave the road, avoid hard braking until you've slowed to about 20 mph, and keep one set of wheels on the pavement if you can. With ABS, brake firmly and let the system keep the wheels from locking. Without ABS, use controlled or stab braking.
If your vehicle catches fire, get off the road and park in an open area away from buildings, trees and other vehicles. Never pull into a service station. Stay upwind while you fight the fire. Class B extinguishers are for flammable liquids and Class C for electrical fires.
At a crash, first protect the area with your flashers and triangles so it doesn't get worse. Then call for help and care for the injured. Don't move a seriously hurt person unless there's danger, like a fire.
