fishtailing
Tail swinging wildly
Fishtailing is the side-to-side swinging motion of a vehicle's rear end, typically when traction is lost on slippery roads or during hard acceleration: The truck started fishtailing on the icy highway.
The image is of a fish's tail sweeping back and forth.
The term extends to anything that sways similarly: The trailer was fishtailing behind us.
Uncontrolled sliding motion
- loss of controlInability to direct outcomes
- swervingTurning sharply aside
- collisionForceful contact between objects
- accidentUnintended harmful event
oversteer · tailspin · crash · spinout · panic · emergency · whiplash · reckless
Invisible frozen road surface
- icyFrozen or unfriendly
- snowyBlanketed in white flakes
- slipperyLacking friction, hard-to-grasp
- snow tiresCold-climate vehicle treads
tire chains · ABS · road salt · sleet · blizzard · studded tires · frozen · frost
Turning toward a skid
- correctionFixing of mistakes
- throttle controlDevice regulating engine speed
- weight transferRedistribution of mass between supports
- overcorrectionExcessive corrective action
skidding
Uncontrolled sliding motion
- loss of controlInability to direct outcomes
- swervingTurning sharply aside
- collisionForceful contact between objects
accident · oversteer · tailspin · crash · spinout · panic · emergency · whiplash · reckless · overcorrection
black ice
Invisible frozen road surface
snow tires · tire chains · ABS · road salt · sleet · blizzard · studded tires · frozen · frost · sand
countersteer
Turning toward a skid
- correctionFixing of mistakes
- throttle controlDevice regulating engine speed
- weight transferRedistribution of mass between supports
oversteer
Excessive rear rotation
- driftingMoving without purpose
- powerslideControlled sideways vehicle skid
- tractionAdhesive friction enabling movement
cornering · grip · throttle · sideways · yaw · momentum · burnout · hairpin · rally · dirt track
- out of controlwild, chaotic, unruly, unchecked, runaway
- vehicle mishapscollision, crash, rollover, jackknife, skid
- vehicle movementsturn, swerve, skid, veer, drift
- winter roadssnow plow, snowplow, road salt, plowing, de-icing
- drivingdrive, steering, driver, acceleration, motorist
- vehicle maneuverssteering, braking, accelerating, parking, reversing
fishtailingstable
Secure and unchanging
steady · controlled · planted · under control · composed
fishtailinggripping
Holding attention completely
hooking up · biting · sticking · planted · digging in
fish, tail, fishing, fisherman, tailed, fishermen, fishbowl, tailing, fishtail