Lose traction is a term used to describe when a vehicle has difficulty maintaining grip on the road, resulting in a loss of control. This can be caused by skidding, slipping, sliding, or spinning your wheels. Skidding is when the tires lose traction and the car slides sideways. Slipping is when the tires lose traction and the car moves forward or backward in an uncontrolled manner. Sliding is when the car moves in an uncontrolled manner in a particular direction. Spinning your wheels is when the tires spin but the car does not move forward.