What does counter-steering help with during a skid?

Counter-steering is a technique used to maintain control of a vehicle during a skid. When a vehicle begins to lose traction and slide, counter-steering involves turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the skid. This action helps to realign the vehicle's wheels with the direction the vehicle is actually sliding.

By turning the wheels towards the direction of the slide, you effectively stabilize the vehicle, allowing it to regain traction. This is essential because a vehicle can easily continue to spin or slide out of control if the driver does not adjust the steering appropriately. Proper counter-steering helps the driver to guide the vehicle out of the skid, restoring control and enabling a smoother recovery.

In contrast, other options such as accelerating out of a skid or attempting to stop quickly may lead to further loss of control or worsen the skid, while preventing the vehicle from overheating is not relevant to the dynamics of managing a skid. Therefore, the focus should be on redirecting the wheels to align them with the slide, which effectively mitigates the skid and helps regain control of the vehicle.