Understeer
is a term used to describe a cars handling during cornering
in which the circular path of a vehicle is greater in diameter
than the circle indicated by the direction its front wheels
are pointed. Understeer occurs when the front tires lose traction
during a turn, causing the vehicle to either not turn as tightly
as intended or in extreme circumstances, to continue on in
a straight line.
Most standard production vehicles are set up to understeer
slightly by default, this means a car will remain more stable
if a sudden steering input is made, improving safety. Understeer
is more likely to occur in front wheel drive vehicles than rear wheel drive vehicles which are more prone to oversteer.
