Arkansas Commercial Driver License (CDL) Practice Test 2025 - Free CDL Practice Questions and Study Guide

When a vehicle’s drive wheels begin to skid, the most effective action is to push in the clutch. This maneuver helps to disconnect the engine from the drive wheels, allowing the wheels to regain traction and stop skidding. By disengaging the clutch, you reduce the engine's power to the wheels, which can allow the tires to regain their grip on the road surface.

Maintaining control of the vehicle during a skid is crucial, and pushing in the clutch prevents the engine’s power from contributing to the loss of traction. This technique is especially important for manual transmission vehicles, as it provides a means to stabilize the vehicle without adding to the momentum that could make the skid worse.

Other actions, such as stepping on the brake pedal, engaging the parking brake, or accelerating, could exacerbate the situation by causing further loss of control or deeper skidding. Stepping on the brakes can lock the wheels, while accelerating can worsen the skid by adding more power to the drive wheels and further compromising traction. Engaging the parking brake can lead to a sudden stop or cause additional loss of control. Therefore, pushing in the clutch is the best immediate response to regain control during a skid of the drive wheels.