Fishtailing

Diagram of a car undergoing fishtailing.
Video of a car fishtailing or drifting on the street of Riia maantee in Tartu, Estonia (December 2021)

Fishtailing is a vehicle handling problem which occurs when the rear wheels lose traction, resulting in oversteer. This can be caused by low-friction surfaces (sand, gravel, rain, snow, ice, etc.). Rear-drive vehicles with sufficient power can induce this loss of traction on any surface, which is called power-oversteer.[1]

  1. ^ "How to Stay Safe When Your Car Fishtails | Firestone Complete Auto Care". www.firestonecompleteautocare.com. Retrieved 2024-01-15.