Re: oversteer vs. understeer

[Trisha Blethen <trishab@mail.tds.net>]

Frank J. Bauer wrote:
>
> 
> as the seated occupant of a motor vehicle, i can't understand why a
> potential headfirst impact would be preferable to backing into the
> obstruction...


I understand your confusion but only slightly.  First of all.....backing
hard into an obstruction will hurt your neck more......reason I know
this?  Family experience as well as what I have learned from working as
a safety worker on high speed tracks.  

Now, for the passenger, he "sees" the danger sooner in oversteer,
therefore, he gets scared quicker.  

As for the driver getting scared first in understeer....the passenger
usually has no clue that the driver has put steering input in until the
driver mutters something like "oh, sh*t".  

Trish