"Lost control of vehicle"....you hear it all the time.?

Question

What does this mean. Everytime there's a major and/or fatal accident, the news reports it as, "The driver, lost control of the vehicle." How does this happen?? Are there critical mechanical failures that I should stay on top of??

Answer 1

Most of the time, it means that the driver was probably speeding or doing something stupid and wasn't paying attention, and before they knew it, they lost control of their vehicle.  Sometimes it can be due to adverse weather.

Answer 2

"lost control of vehicle"  is a nice way to say "driver was a moron and had no idea the limits of his vehicle, and the roadway"

Answer 3

No mechanical failures..operator had a dumb @ss attack..

Answer 4

Stay in complete control of your vehicle, no distractions, avoid braking at the last moment, avoid speeding, reduce speed when on wet or icy roads, don't drink and drive and keep your vehicle well maintained at all times, including checking your tire and air pressure.

Answer 5

lost control mean no longer able to control the car, you can try this in a big parking place with nothing around, speed up to 60mph and make 90 degree turn, neither you car will flip over or you will lose control

Answer 6

"Loss of control" - the vehicle did something I couldn't handle or was not prepared for...Something that causes a sudden change in direction (a blown tire, unplanned or incorrect turn of the steering wheel) or in vehicle balance...A vehicle is a mechanical device that is subject to the laws of physics and motion...If I try to make my vehicle do something beyond its design capability to handle a maneuver, the vehicle will react to the total forces on it - speed, weight, direction(s) of travel, road surface and condition...Most vehicles have only 4 points of contact with the road surface on the tires...Worn tread and/or improper pressure can lead to loss of control while braking under moderate or heavy conditions.

All the best

Answer 7

Most often,   loss of control is due to driver inattention or error.     But don't let that keep you from properly maintaining your vehicle,   that will eliminate most risk from that angle.

Answer 8

It could mean many things, like going too fast for conditions, a mechanical failure of some sort, falling asleep at the wheel, OR an animal ,large or small could dart out in front of you, causing you to lose control, OR another driver gets in your personal driving space and does something stupid, causing you to lose control.  Driving a vehicle is serious and I wish folks would really not talk on their phones while driving- my husband & I were recently in an accident where a young man on his cell phone ran a stop sign and hit us.  No injuries but it totaled our vehicle.

Answer 9

It might just mean that they stopped concentrating on what they were doing - that is why the label is so "nebulous"...

Answer 10

It is a "catch all" phrase. It simply means the driver was either distracted, driving too fast for conditions ,suffered a mechanical failure or something else that made them lose control. Drive sensibly and make sure your vehicle is properly maintained and the chances of it happening to you are severely reduced.