In icy conditions, a car has substantially less grip on the road than in clear conditions. If one expects ice on the roads and must travel in it, suggestions are to travel more slowly and avoid sudden accelerations (hard braking, quick takeoffs, or sharp turns.) Why can these precautions help to prevent skidding in these conditions? For a car to maintain traction on the road, the static frictional force must be acting, not the kinetic frictional force.