Skid Dynamics

Vehicle Dynamics

One of the most important elements of skid pan training is developing a ‘feel' for what is happening to the car at any one time. To develop this feel you first need to understand a little bit about vehicle dynamics.

Understanding Your Car is Vital in Skid Control

Basically when you drive your car its weight mass starts to move around and the weight pressing on each tyre constantly changes. The average driver is largely unaware of this but its important because the more weight that there is pressing on a tyre the more grip that tyre will have with the road surface. More importantly the less weight pressing on any tyre the LESS grip that tyre will have with the road surface and this is the same is wet or dry conditions!

Skid Pna Training is All about Balance

With this in mind its fairly obvious that under acceleration the front tyres will have less grip and when decelerating or braking the rear tyres have less grip in each case that end of the car is more likely to skid.

The Skid Control Vehicle is Important

Our unmodified skid pan vehicles allow that weight to move around the car in the same way as it does in your own car. This will allow you develop a ‘feel' for what's happening and therefore make the correct control decisions.