Pavement skid resistance

The skid resistance of a road surface corresponds to its capacity to mobilize frictional forces in the contact area between a vehicle's tires and the road surface, under the effect of the stresses generated by driving (acceleration, braking, cornering, etc.). It helps to maintain the desired trajectory at all times, reduce braking distances and facilitate evasive maneuvers or trajectory recovery.

A distinction is made between longitudinal skid resistance, which conditions the transmission of braking and acceleration torques by the tire, and transverse skid resistance, which enables the forces required for steering (bends, changes of direction, etc.) to be developed on contact with the pavement. So, even if other parameters such as vehicle characteristics (braking systems, tire quality, etc.) play an important role, the pavement surface contributes to grip at different...