Final answer:
To avoid a rollover, remove your foot from the accelerator, avoid breaking abruptly, steer following the roadway's curvature, and slowly guide the car back to the road with gradual steering wheel turns.
Step-by-step explanation:
To avoid a rollover when you find your vehicle leaving the road, it is crucial to take specific actions to regain control safely. Firstly, you must take your foot off the accelerator and ensure you do not hit the brakes abruptly, as this can cause a loss of traction and further destabilize the vehicle. Instead, you should steer the vehicle to follow the curvature of the roadway. When you have the vehicle back under control, slowly turn the steering wheel to gradually guide the vehicle back onto the road. Quick or sharp movements can increase the risk of a rollover or cause the vehicle to skid.
Understanding vehicle dynamics is essential for safe driving. It is the balance of forces, such as the centripetal force from tire-road friction, that allows a vehicle to follow a curved path. When this force is disrupted, by hitting a patch of ice, for example, the vehicle may continue in a straight line off the roadway, as stated by Newton's first law. A calm and measured response using the vehicle's acceleration and steering can help you maintain or regain control.