Understeer and oversteer are two terms used to describe the handling characteristics of a vehicle. They refer to the way a car responds to the driver’s steering inputs, particularly during cornering.
Understeer occurs when a car’s front tires lose grip and the vehicle tends to push forward, rather than turning as much as the driver intends. This can happen when the driver enters a corner too quickly, or when there isn’t enough weight on the front tires. The car will tend to run wide in a turn, and the driver may need to slow down or reduce steering input to regain control.
On the other hand, oversteer is when a car’s rear tires lose grip and the vehicle tends to spin out. This can happen when the driver applies too much throttle, or when the weight of the car shifts too quickly to the rear during a turn. The car will tend to rotate around its axis, and the driver may need to steer into the slide and/or reduce throttle to regain control.
Both understeer and oversteer can be dangerous if not handled properly, and can lead to loss of control and accidents. Many modern cars are designed with electronic stability control (ESC) systems that can detect and correct these handling issues before they become serious. However, it’s still important for drivers to understand these concepts and learn how to control their vehicles in various driving conditions.
In general, understeer tends to be a more predictable and easier-to-control behaviour, while oversteer can be more challenging to manage. With practice and experience, drivers can learn how to recognize and correct both understeer and oversteer to stay safe on the road.
Recovering from understeer involves reducing the speed of the vehicle and correcting the steering input to regain control of the car. Here are some steps to take if you experience understeer:
- Reduce your speed: Slow down as quickly and safely as possible. This will help to shift weight to the front tires and increase grip, which can help to improve your steering control.
- Steer into the turn: Turn the steering wheel in the direction of the turn to shift the weight of the vehicle towards the front tires. This will help to increase the grip of the front tires and give you more control over the car.
- Avoid sudden movements: Avoid sudden steering or braking movements, as this can cause the car to lose even more grip and make the understeer worse.
- Avoid over-correcting: Be careful not to over-correct your steering input, as this can lead to oversteer and make the situation worse. Make small, smooth corrections to regain control.
- Accelerate gently: Once you have regained control, gently accelerate to maintain momentum and continue through the turn.
Remember, the best way to deal with understeer is to prevent it from happening in the first place. If you do experience understeer, stay calm and follow these steps to regain control of the vehicle.
Recovering from oversteer can be more challenging than understeer, but there are steps you can take to regain control of the vehicle. Here’s what to do if you experience oversteer:
- Steer into the slide: Turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide to try to straighten out the vehicle. This will help to reduce the angle of the slide and give you more control over the car.
- Avoid sudden movements: Be careful not to make any sudden steering or braking inputs, as this can cause the car to lose even more grip and spin out of control.
- Ease off the throttle: If you were accelerating when the oversteer occurred, ease off the throttle gently. This will help to shift weight to the front tires and reduce the spinning motion of the car.
- Correct smoothly: Make small, smooth steering corrections to keep the car under control. Over-correcting can cause the car to spin out in the opposite direction.
- Keep your eyes on where you want to go: Look ahead to where you want the car to go, and steer towards that point. This will help to guide the car back onto the road and in the right direction.
Again, If you do experience oversteer, stay calm and follow these steps to regain control of the vehicle. With practice and experience, you can learn to control your car in these situations. Some may call this drifting.
