Learn The Art Of The Limo Stop With A Certified Rally Instructor

Today is Sunday, and Sundays are for learning new driving skills. Today's skill comes to you straight from Team O'Neil Rally School, the fine folks who know the best tips and tricks for making you a better driver. Today, we're learning how to perform the limo stop.

What is the limo stop, you ask? I'll tell you. It is essentially when a driver lets off on the brake just as the vehicle comes to a stop so that the wheels don't lock up. That means there's no unpleasant jerkiness. Smooth as butter.

The name's origin is... exactly what it sounds like. You can't be a limo driver shuttling around rich folks sipping their expensive champagne if you make a jerky stop, now, can you?

If you're not shuttling around rich folk, then this skill is still an important one. It prepares you for more advanced rally moves, it can help impress upon your passengers that you are actually a good driver, and it can be a way to test out your driving conditions without locking up your tires or engaging ABS. And you're a lot less likely to spill your coffee.

I'll let Wyatt get down to business:

It's not a complicated maneuver. You lift off the brakes as your car is slowing down so that the brakes aren't fully engaged when you come to a full stop. It might take a few tries to nail it, but we're not talking about a Scandinavian flick here. We're talking about a nice, efficient way to bring your car to a stop.

Wyatt also shows off a more aggressive limo stop maneuver, which helps a driver gauge how much grip is available when it comes to winter driving. It's a nice, controlled way to see just how slippery of a surface you're driving on.

Again, Wyatt is the expert. I'll let him talk you through it. But I bet you're going to be trying this skill out the next time it snows.