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When traction control tells you to countersteer...

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Richard Roch
Picture this: you're driving on a small country road in October or November. The road is still wet from the rain of last night and the right lane is covered
(Photo: Volkswagen)
with slippery leaves. Suddenly, a deer jumps out of the woods. You apply the brakes, but you quickly realize that both right wheels are rolling on the leaves. What happens next?

While the left wheels try to stop the car, the right wheels slip. Upon braking, your vehicle is immediately pulled to the left, where the grip is better. To avoid a collision with a vehicle coming in the reverse lane, you must countersteer to the right. Not everyone can do this maneuver!

Volkswagen has come up with a solution by linking the steering wheel of its Golf, Golf Plus, Jetta, Eos, Touran, Passat and Passat Wagon to their ESP system. When such a situation occurs, the system sends an impulse signal to the driver to steer in a certain direction through the steering wheel. Stopping distances can then be reduced by up to 10 percent.

The system does not countersteer automatically, but it encourages the driver to take appropriate action at the appropriate time. That's what I call an interesting active safety device! The ESP does the thinking, and the driver reacts.
Richard Roch
Richard Roch
Automotive expert
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