Illustrates techniques for recovering from the six basic skids; discusses defensive driving.

Sharp focus on one important phase of an insurance company’s efforts to increase awareness of highway safety factors provided in Six Deadly Skids, a new 16mm sound film. The pic-ture, featuring internationally- known racing car driver Denise McC luggage, takes viewers to the Skid Control School set up by the Liberty Mutual Insurance Compames at Hopkinton. Mass. The school, the only one of its kind in the country, ties ini with Liberty Mutual s concept of “Deci-sion Driving — automatic,trained reflexes m emergency situations. The Boston-based insurance firm says it hopes the skid school concept will one day be part of driver-training programs through out the country. Purpose of the.school is to demonstrate the six kinds of skids and let drivers experience the skids and then show them how these skids can be controlled.

The six skids, according to Liberty Mutual engineers are: 1. Front-wheel lock when’ the car’s front tires slip on ice or oil

slick, causing the driver to lose its steering control 2. Rear-Wheel lock, when the driver slams on the brakes on slippery pavement, causing the carto make a 1 80-degree turn; with the rear part of the the car whipping around to the “front “

3. All-wheel lock,” when brakes are jammed too ha/d, causing all four wheels to lose traction with the road. The car can slide unpredictably in any direction.

4. Power skid, when the car is accelerated too fast for road conditions, causing the rear wheels to spin quickly while the car “fishtails”‘ back and forth.

5. Spinout, caused by entering a turn too fast and the rear end of ‘

– the car breaks loose and whips the ‘ car off the road. I

6. Hydroplaning, the front tires literally riding at high speed atop , a thin film of water, with no tire contact with the road. Sudden wind gust caused by a passim; vehicle could push the car right off the road.

Liberty Mutual engineers say there are four basic steps to take when a car skids: de-clutch, counter-steer, take foot off the brakes and take foot off the gas pedal.

When all four wheels are locked, the film demonstrates, the car caii be slowed down by “stabbing” the brakes, repeatedly hittinc Nhem quickly until the front end of the car goes down and releasing the brakes until the hood rises.

Produced by Dynamic Films, Inc., of New York, the 29-minute color film is being distributed to (he television stations by Modern lalking Picture Service. School and club bookings mav be made directly with 1 iberty Mutual at n.S Berkeley St., Boston 02117