Doing research

[Skye]

In attempts to be accurate in an off site story, a question arose. Silly, but enigmatic.

If a street is wet and a car skids, can the smell of burnt rubber announce itself?

Some people say yes (because it's internal), others say no (just because). What do YOU say people of E?

[Maeven]

Well... if the car is skidding because it's slippery, then that means there's a lack of friction between the tire and the road.  Friction is mechanical heat.

So, my guess would be that no, you wouldn't smell burnt rubber because the rubber wouldn't have heated up enough to burn. I could be completely off though...*shrugs* 

[Will]

Hmm... I would think that if it's making a loud skidding noise then there's at least some friction going on.  If that's the case, then the rubber would probably burn eventually.  You might just have to sit there and spin out for a while.  Maybe quite a while.

Just a guess.

[Oniya]

The few times that I've skidded due to weather, there was neither sound nor smell.  My husband (who spun out on black ice this winter) confirmed this for me.  There's only that sudden realization that you are not controlling where the car is going.