Acting or moving in a direction toward the axis or center of rotation.

The force that is required to keep an object moving around a circular path.

It is directed towards the center of the circle. In the absence of this effect, the object would move in a straight line tangential to the circle or keep going in a straight line.

Cars need aid going around corners; so, objects tend to travel in straight lines unless centripetal force bends their motion around into a curve.