Colorado POST Practice Exam

What is the term for a skid that occurs when a locked and sliding wheel bounces over a bump or uneven surface?

1. Drift skid mark

2. Skip skid mark

3. Locked skid mark

4. Bounce skid mark

The correct answer is: Skip skid mark

The term for a skid that occurs when a locked and sliding wheel bounces over a bump or uneven surface is known as a "skip skid mark." This phenomenon happens when the tire, while locked, loses contact with the road surface momentarily, causing a series of markings that appear as skips. Each skip represents a moment when the tire was airborne due to the uneven surface, interrupted by periods of contact. This is distinct from other types of skid marks. For instance, drift skid marks are associated with a vehicle moving sideways but maintaining some traction. Locked skid marks refer to the continuous mark left by a wheel that is fully engaged in a skid without any bouncing effect, and bounce skid marks, while similar, do not accurately represent the nature of a locked tire skipping over a surface. The identifying characteristic of a skip skid mark is the intermittent pattern that reflects the brief loss of contact with the road during a skid. Understanding these terms helps in accident reconstruction and assessing vehicle dynamics during a skid scenario.