Which of the following braking techniques should you use to considerably decrease the speed of an agricultural tractor driven on a very slippery surface?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
A. Engine braking.
Explanation
The question is about the technique for considerably reducing the speed of a tractor on a very slippery surface. You brake with the engine - answer A.
On ice or packed snow, the tyres transfer very little force, so the most important thing is to brake without locking the wheels. Engine braking, that is, taking your foot off the accelerator and gradually shifting down, slows the tractor evenly and predictably, while the wheels keep rolling and the tractor can still be steered. Braking with the clutch pressed (answer B) disconnects the engine from the wheels - you lose its braking resistance, and all the work is taken over by the brakes, which easily lock the wheels on a slippery surface. Changing to a higher gear (answer C) weakens engine braking, and the tractor keeps going under its own momentum. On a slippery road it is best simply to drive slowly and to start braking much earlier than usual.
Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 1 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)