In the mud

An instructor employed on an off-roader driving-range told a writer he has to spend a lot of time teaching beginners to visualise which way their front wheels in deep mud, are pointing. Some learners apparently panic-spin the steering wheel into full-lock both ways till one lock "wins" and the wheels start to act like bulldozer blades, building up an impassable wall of mud.

Growing up with power-steering may have something to do with their ineptness, the instructor thought. Also, possibly, some offroad rv power-steering systems are too high-geared.

Searching, I ascertained that airplanes and boats have all sorts of position indicators on their instrument panels, but no off-roader seemed to have any [except a few with satellite location.] Why can't off-roader rvs have, just below the windscreen, an indicator comprising two lines inside a rectangle.

It would, I suppose, work by dead-reckoning - that is, by a micro-computer integrating steering-wheel turns. [Before satellite positioning arrived there were moderately successful in-car "you are here" maps using this form of dead-reckoning.]