There's not a single answer here because the surface under the car influences the physics. On a road; wet, dry, snowy, icy, whatever, the steering has a big effect on vehicle direction and stability, right up to the limits of adhesion. Once you get the hang of it you can drive sideways, even on dry pavement and control the drift angle with steering, brakes and throttle. Watch a video of rally drivers or even the drifting dudes. Or the one below. Better yet, go to one of the advanced driving skills schools put on by the local chapters of the BMW car club. Any car can go and you learn a lot.

When a car goes off the road onto a sloped surface --some median strips comes to mind--and is starting to spin things get a lot more complicated. The standard tactic of turning into the skid (i.e., the rear skids to the right, turn wheel to right) CAN be the wrong thing to do because while it may stabilize the skid the sloped surface can "trip" the car and cause a roll. At the same time, turning the wheel the other way can make the spin worse, which can also cause a roll, but OTOH the resulting spin scrapes off speed faster, so a roll may be a bit less likely. This is all assuming there's nothing to hit.

At most high performance driving classes they tell you if you are going to lose it in a spin and go "agricultural" (off the track into the dirt) the rule is nail the brakes and put the clutch down. Some say to center the steering and hold on. This negates most steering effect.

What is interesting is that reasonably competent drivers, if they remember to just look where the want the car to go (instead of what they think they could hit) will do at least some of the things they need to do to keep from getting into deeper trouble.

As for lessening the "impact" of a roll... It's all physics, and a roll is NOT easy on the body, and you better be strapped in.

Sideways!

• Rollovers and car weight, steve, Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:30:35
  • Re: Rollovers and car weight, EGD , Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:36:04
  • "Lighter cars easier to roll" Are they?, ursaw, Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:40:09
    • Re: "Lighter cars easier to roll" Are they?, jp498, Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:45:39
      • Re: "Lighter cars easier to roll" Are they?, JimBlake , Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:23:35
        • Re: "Lighter cars easier to roll" Are they?, jp498, Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:07:53
          • Re: "Lighter cars easier to roll" Are they?, JimBlake , Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:27:06
            • Re: "Lighter cars easier to roll" Are they?, jp498, Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:20:36
              • Re: "Lighter cars easier to roll" Are they?, JimBlake , Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:04:26
  • Depends on the design, Bruce, Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:16:11
  • Why do you say lighter cars are easier to roll?, Noel, Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:15:25
    • Re: Why do you say lighter cars are easier to roll?, steve, Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:10:53
      • Re: Why do you say lighter cars are easier to roll?, James, Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:11:27
      • Wheel direction & Steering, Noel, Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:05:43 <-- Viewing This Message
  • Re: Rollovers and car weight, James, Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:56:14
    • Don't roll a Mustang..., BlaaSaab, Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:20:46
      • Interesting to read the thread with the pix, Noel, Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:24:16

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