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Sideways in a Boxster 986

Andrew,

you cannot be serious!

How you should react to the start of a skid depends on what is ahead, behind and around you, the road surface, how fast you are going and your car control skills. Also, what caused the skid to develop.

I am sure your instructor did not give you this advice to use in all circumstances.

 
I'm refering to being out of control, it sounds extreme but if you are out of control, you need to stop. As I say book a skid pan and try it - as to instructors go out with John Lyon, Hugh Noblet or Don Palmer for example. Otherwise enjoy your ride to the scene of the accident!
 
Andrew,

if you are completely out of control, then yes. Clutch in, brakes on hard, close eyes.

You should focus on not getting to that state.

Track days are a great way to put into practise what you learn about the limits, car control etc
 
The whole point of ABS is to allow you to steer. The natural reaction is to brake and to steer away from something you might hit, so ABS will help you do that.
 
Most ABS engineers believe that motorists do not know how to use ABS, and do not press the brake pedal nearly hard enough or fast enough to properly activate it. If you can still steer, i.e. you have the time to take avoiding action, then perhaps you are not yet out of control.

 
Most ABS engineers believe that motorists do not know how to use ABS, and do not press the brake pedal nearly hard enough or fast enough to properly activate it.
Click to expand...
The idea of one "using" ABS is a new one on me.

If the car is already skidding with the wheels turning how is ABS going to save your butt?

JCB..
 
You "use" ABS by pressing the pedal hard and fast to activate it (I am talking about an emergency here). ABS works by providing the most efficient braking, which is just before the wheels lock. You need to get to that state quickly to access that efficiency as soon as you can. Incidently this is what ABS is desgined to do, a consequence of the wheels still rotating is that you retain some steering, but ABS is not "designed" to do this as such. You may have come across this anology, but if a tyre only has £10 to spend, and you're spending £9.95 on braking, you only have 5p left for steering!

As to the other point, as I've already written, go and try it (somewhere safe of course). I have tried it on the wet handling circuit at MIRA and it does work. Yes, I had to learn to do it, but I agree it is not the most natural answer.
 
And how does PSM fit into all this? Could it/should it have prevented the skid in the first place? My understanding is that this is what it is designed to do.
 
I thought PSM was only going to catch problems when you are starting to loose it, up to a point, therefore preventing a big one. Does it not work on sensing the increasing loss of traction from wherever. But if you can get the back end out extremely quickly past the point that PSM can save you, then it wouldn't be able to save you and what would it do?

I also heard quite a while ago, that we shouldn't ever brake steadily. To ensure that we stopped and didn't ever encounter issues, we should always plant our foot, or both feet if you feel so inclined, hard enough onto the brake pedal to make sure that ABS kicks in every time. Don't think I agree with that philosophy though.
 
Is that everytime you do an emergency stop, or everytime you brake? Is it using both feet you don't agree with or stopping with maximum efficiency? Don't some cars now come with systems that detect an emergency pedal action and stick the brakes on full for you - Mercedes do I think.
 
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