What is countersteering?

• A. Turning the wheel back in the other direction after steering to avoid a traffic emergency
• B. Turning the wheel in the same direction as the steering
• C. Stomping on the brakes hard
• D. Pulling the steering wheel hard to the left

Answer: (A)

Countersteering is a corrective steering action where you briefly steer in the opposite direction from your initial turn to regain control, especially after a sudden maneuver or when the vehicle starts to skid. The idea is to counter the vehicle’s yaw so the tires can grip again and you can straighten up or steer toward your intended path. For example, if you steer to avoid a hazard and the rear of the car begins to slide, you’ll steer briefly in the opposite direction to stabilize the car, then steer back toward where you want to go. The option described matches this practice: you turn the wheel back the other way after steering to avoid the emergency. This is different from simply turning in the same direction to enter a turn, or from braking hard or yanking the wheel, which can make control harder rather than easier.