166 average drivers were asked to drive along a track at specified speed. The speed was increased at each lap. At 80 km/h one of the bends was sharpened without warning the driver. Three cars were used. They were identical except the handling: one was standard, one oversteering and the last understeering. None of the drivers knew there were several cars and each drove and saw only one car. Even if the drivers didn't know anything about the handling of the car, some differences already appeared in their driving behavior relying on the car dynamic characteristics, even at low speed (50 km/h). Half of the drivers ran off the road with the understeering car even if this was the car which gave them the highest confidence (but not necessarily the best comfort as they generally felt the « steering wheel was heavy » ). The two other cars gave close results and helped more than two thirds of the drivers to keep on the road.
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