Jake
Losing control of your car while driving is a terrifying experience. At best, you have mere seconds to regain control before striking another vehicle, a lane divider, or wrecking off the road. In that kind of high-pressure situation, knowing what you need to do to prevent a wreck before finding yourself in the position is key. In this article, we discuss how to recognize oversteer and understeer, along with how to regain control if you experience either of these conditions. We hope this article helps you stay safe and avoid negligence-related collisions while on the road!
What is Understeer?
Understeer occurs when your vehicle turns less than desired when maneuvering around a corner. As an example, you may turn your steering wheel all the way to the right but the car may react sluggishly or hardly at all. The vehicle’s tires may screech as they lose grip.
In most cases, understeer is experienced by front-wheel drive vehicles. In most cases, it occurs when you attempt to take a turn too quickly or with not enough traction for your car’s front tires. The front wheels in a front-wheel drive car must be able to manage the vehicle’s direction of travel, slow it down when the brakes are applied, and transmit power from the engine to the road. When you exceed their limits by driving too fast for road conditions, they lose cornering power and you subsequently lose control.
What is Oversteer?
Oversteer is a condition more likely to affect rear-wheel drive vehicles. When you drive a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the rear wheels only provide power and braking capabilities. They do not provide steering inputs. However, if you apply too much power to the rear wheels, they can lose traction and cause the rear of the car to slide out of control. Experienced drivers may experiment with intentional oversteer – something you may recognize as drifting. However, oversteer can be incredibly dangerous and hard to control for less-experienced motorists.
In most cases, oversteer happens when you’re trying to make a turn and you apply more pressure than the tires can handle. The tires can “slip,” causing them to push in the opposite direction of your intended turn.
What Should You Do if You Experience Oversteer or Understeer?
With both understeer and oversteer, the most important thing you can do to regain control of your car is to slow down. Both steering conditions occur when you are driving too fast for your car to handle, given the prevalent road and weather conditions.
If your car begins to understeer, do not slam on the brakes. Doing so actually increases the amount of pressure on the front wheels, which have already begun slipping. Instead, gently ease off the gas pedal. Don’t take your foot off the pedal entirely, as this may cause you to completely lose control of the car. In an emergency situation like this, you may be tempted to overcorrect and turn the wheel harder towards your intended course of direction. Don’t do that! Reduce the angle you’ve turned the wheel, so you can regain control.
When you experience oversteer, you should gently ease off the gas but don’t slam on the brakes. Try to gently work the gas and brake pedals to bring your car to a gradual stop. If you are an inexperienced driver, treat rear-wheel drive vehicles with respect and do not deactivate the traction or stability control settings.
Safely Dealing With Adverse Steering Conditions
Dealing with under- or oversteer while driving can be scary and stressful, especially if you are a newer driver. If you find yourself experiencing either of these steering conditions, remember to try and slow the car down gradually, don’t overcorrect in the direction you’re trying to go, and never slam on the brakes. Above all else, remember to slow down! Even low-speed crashes can cause serious injuries and really ruin your day. We hope this article helps you stay safe the next time you hit the road!
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