Driving techniques and know-how

Car Aquaplaning (hydroplaning) Explained Aquaplaning or hydroplaning by the tires of a road vehicle, aircraft or roller coaster occurs when a layer of water builds between the ...

Car Body roll explained On wheeled or tracked vehicles, body roll is a reference to the load transfer of a vehicle towards the outside of a turn. When a vehicle is fitted with a ...

Car Bump steer explained Bump steer or roll steer is the term for the tendency of the wheel of a car to steer as it moves upwards. It is typically measured in degrees of steer ...

Vehicle Circle of forces explained The circle of forces, traction circle, friction circle, or friction ellipse is a useful way to think about the dynamic interaction between a ...

Car Cornering (Lateral) force explained Tire tread element displacement and the resulting cornering force Cornering force or side force is the lateral (i.e. parallel to the road ...

Car Downforce Explained Downforce is a downwards thrust created by the aerodynamic characteristics of a car. The purpose of downforce is to allow a car to travel faster through a ...

Drifting Sport Explained Drifting is a driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels, while maintaining control from ...

Vehicle Fishtailing Explained Fishtailing (also called "tank slapping") is a vehicle handling problem which occurs when the rear wheels lose traction, resulting in oversteer. ...

Car handling explained Automobile handling and vehicle handling are descriptions of the way wheeled vehicles perform transverse to their direction of motion, particularly during ...

J-turn reversing vehicle 180° explained A J-turn is a driving maneuver used to spin a reversing vehicle 180°, to drive forward in the same direction. The J-turn is also called ...

Car Left-foot braking explained Left-foot braking is the technique of using the left foot to operate the brake pedal in an automobile, leaving the right foot dedicated to the ...

Car Road surfaces explained Road surface is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the ...

Car Skid resistance Road slipperiness explained Road slipperiness or skid resistance is the technical term for the cumulative effects of snow, ice, water, loose material and the ...

Car Slip ratio explained Slip ratio is a means of calculating and expressing the locking status of a wheel and is vital to the effectiveness of any anti-lock braking system. When ...

Sprung mass explained In a vehicle with a suspension, such as an automobile, motorcycle or a tank, sprung mass (or sprung weight) is the portion of the vehicle's total mass that ...