Final answer:
To safely navigate a curve, drivers should use ideally banked curves to maintain ideal speed and cut the corner to reduce the path distance, all while keeping the vehicle's center of mass stable.
Step-by-step explanation:
To safely navigate through a curve, a driver should make use of an ideally banked curve. These curves are designed with a specific slope or bank, which helps a vehicle maintain ideal speed through the curve without relying on friction between the tires and the road. The slope allows for the centripetal force necessary to keep the vehicle on its path and prevent it from skidding outwards due to centrifugal force, which is a perceived force in a rotating frame of reference.
Race car drivers also attempt to cut the corner, taking the inside path around a curve, which allows them to maintain higher speeds. The center of mass for the vehicle plays a crucial role in this process, as it determines the vehicle's stability while negotiating the curve. Thus, to safely navigate a curve at high speeds, drivers should aim to use the banked portion of the curve and reduce the path distance by cutting the corner where possible.