When a car takes a turn on a level road, the point of contact of the wheel with the surface is instantaneously stationary if there is no slipping. Hence, the lateral force on the car is the limiting force of static friction between the tyres and road. Lateral forces allow the car to turn. As long as the wheels are rolling, there is lateral force of static friction and longitudinal force of rolling friction. Longtitudinal forces, which act in the direction of motion of the car body (or in the exact opposite direction), control the acceleration or deceleration of the car and therefore the speed of the car. These are the wheel force, rolling friction, braking force and air drag. If the car skids, the friction force is kinetic friction; more importantly, the direction of the friction force then changes abruptly from lateral to that opposite the velocity of skidding and not towards the centre of the curve, so that the car cannot continue in its curved path.