How my Audi tried to kill me

I was travelling along a dual carriageway when, at the exact moment the central reservation ended, the rear wheel steering snapped violently to the left, hurling the car towards oncoming traffic. Thanks only to my quick reactions and years of driving experience, I managed to wrestle the steering back under control, narrowly averting a potentially fatal head-on collision. It felt exactly like hitting black ice—utterly terrifying and heart-stopping. Of all the miles I’ve driven as a professional chauffeur, this stands out as one of the most frightening moments I’ve ever experienced.

 

What makes this all the more disturbing is that rear wheel steering is designed to operate only up to 25 mph at a maximum 5° of lock, and after 25 mph, it should only adjust a 1° angle in line with the front wheels. In this instance, it failed catastrophically and in the most perilous way imaginable. Had the worst occurred, I doubt any accident investigator would ever have discovered the true cause.