How to avoid understeer and oversteer

When roads are slippery, most of us know the importance of slowing down. As we know, the risk of losing control increases dramatically in icy, snowy or wet road conditions. Generally, this loss of control is defined as oversteer or understeer.

In the first case we are talking about a situation where the rear of the vehicle skids in a curve while understeer means a situation where the front of the vehicle continues on a straight path when the driver wishes to turn.

Generally, this type of situation occurs if we go too fast in a turn. The effect will be amplified if the road is wet or icy, if your tires are not suited to the season or in poor condition, or if your vehicle is not equipped with safety systems such as traction and stability control.

The most important advice is to slow down if the road is not in optimal condition. Of course, oversteer and understeer can occur even when the road is dry, so slowing down ahead of a curve is always good advice.

If you find yourself in a situation where you have not been able to avoid understeer or oversteer, here are some tips to help you balance and stabilize your vehicle.

If oversteer should occur, you must remember to turn the wheels towards the direction you wish to go. This means that you are actually turning the wheels in the opposite direction of the curve. With a front wheel drive vehicle, gently press the accelerator pedal to “pull” the car towards the direction you wish to go.

In the case of understeer, the problem is probably caused by the fact that you came in too fast in the curve. You must therefore slow down your speed, but in a progressive manner. Start by taking your foot off the accelerator to allow the front wheels to find their traction.

In any case, be mindful when approaching curves, especially in winter, and you will be able to avoid basically any instance of oversteer and understeer.

Thank you to Mercedes-Benz Ottawa for their help with this article.