Incidents, accidents and emergencies
You hit black ice and the car does not respond to the steering. What is the safest immediate action?
- Brake hard to stop before you lose more control
- Take your feet off the pedals and keep the wheel pointed where you want to goCorrect
- Pull the handbrake on firmly
- Accelerate to power through the ice
Why?
Rules 119 and 231 of The Highway Code cover driving on ice. Harsh braking or steering makes a skid worse, so ease off both pedals, avoid sudden movements, and keep the steering pointed where you want to go until the tyres grip again. On ice, brake and accelerate very gently.
Highway Code rules 119, 231