AN EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF TRUCK-INDUCED AERODYNAMIC DISTURBANCES ON PASSENGER CAR CONTROL AND PERFORMANCE

The report presents a preliminary quantification of the nature and magnitude of the effect of truck-induced aerodynamic disturbances on passenger cars. The results are expressed in terms of overall car/driver safety performance, with the emphasis on steering control and side to side deviations in the car's path along the roadway. The basic situations studied involve a station wagon and a tractor/semi-trailer, a two-lane road, overtaking and passing and car-truck oncoming. Within this framework, the following parameters are varied: truck width and shape, lateral separation and lane width, ambient wind magnitude and direction, car-turck speeds, car handling properties, and driver skill and alertness. Specific attention is given to the effect of increasing truck width from 96 to 102 inches. The study comprised full-scale experiments, wind tunnel tests, and combined car/driver/disturbance analyses. The results are interpreted in terms of possible actions and remedial implications in the areas of roadway design, truck size and configuration, and car/driver dynamics and control characteristics. /Author/

• Corporate Authors:

  Systems Technology, Incorporated

  13766 South Hawthorne Boulevard
  Hawthorne, CA  United States  90250
• Authors:
  • Weir, D H
  • RINGLAND, R F
  • Heffley, R K
  • Ashkenas, I L
• Publication Date: 1971-10

Media Info

• Pagination: 109 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerodynamics; Automobiles; Driver performance; Drivers; Highway design; Passing; Personnel performance; Steering; Tractor trailer combinations; Traffic lanes; Trucks; Two lane highways; Vehicle characteristics; Vehicle design; Vehicle performance; Width; Wind tunnels
• Old TRIS Terms: Lateral movement; Steering control
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Motor Carriers; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224067
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-71- 3, STI-TR-1001-1, FCP 31J3-012
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FH-11-7570
• Files: NTIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 26 1978 12:00AM