By measuring the skid marks, the police were able to determine that Car One was at least 150 feet from the nearest car when the driver realized what was happening. The police report also shows that there was a good clear shoulder along the right side of the road. The driver could have used the shoulder to steer around the stopped cars. So, even after his first mistake, he had a chance to avoid an accident.

This is not unusual. A recent study has shown that as many as half of the people who are in automobile accidents could have avoided them at the last minute by handling the car properly.

What should the driver of Car One have done?

	Pump the brakes. When the driver of Car One hit the brakes, he locked all four wheels, which put the car into a skid. After that, there was no way he could steer the car.
	In this situation, unless you have anti-lock brakes, you should pump your brakes. This means pushing and releasing the pedal quickly to keep the car from skidding out of control. Continue this quick pumping action. This will slow the car without letting it go out of control.
	Steer out of trouble. Just as soon as he started braking, the driver of Car One should have checked the shoulder to the right to see if it was clear. Once he saw the shoulder was clear, he should have turned quickly onto it and started to pump his brakes. This would have reduced the chance of a collision.

Rule Number 1:  When steering control is important, don't slam on your brakes: this locks your wheels. Pump the brakes to keep control of the car.