BRAKING DISTANCE OF VEHICLES FROM HIGH SPEED, AND TESTS OF FRICTION COEFFICIENTS

THE LIMITED TESTS TO EXAMINE BRAKING DISTANCES OF VEHICLES FROM HIGH SPEED AND TO MEASURE COEFFICIENTS OF FRICTION, REPORTED IN THIS ARTICLE, WERE OF SUFFICIENT SCOPE TO THROW DOUBT ON SOME OF THE BELIEFS HERETOFORE COMMONLY ACCEPTED. WHAT BRAKING FORCE OR DECELERATION RATE SHOULD BE EXPECTED? ARE STOPPING DISTANCES FROM HIGH SPEEDS LONGER THAN GENERALLY ACCEPTED AS CORRECT? WHAT CAUSES THE WIDE VARIATION IN BRAKING ACTION OF DIFFERENT VEHICLES, AND OF THE SAME VEHICLE IN DIFFERENT TRIALS? ARE DECELERATION RATES ATTAINABLE BY VEHICLES AT HIGH SPEEDS UNCOMFORTABLE TO THE PASSENGERS, SO LONG AS THE VEHICLE FOLLOWS A STRAIGHT PATH? TO WHAT EXTENT DOES BRAKE FADE AND OTHER FACTORS AFFECT STOPPING DISTANCES? TENTATIVE INDICATIONS AS TO THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS WERE FOUND IN THE BRAKING TESTS DESCRIBED HERE, BUT THEY SERVE PRINCIPALLY TO POINT THE NEED FOR FAR MORE EXTENSIVE STUDIES THAT SHOULD INVOLVE THE COOPERATION OF THE AUTOMOTIVE AND TIRE INDUSTRIES. THE RESULTS OF THE FRICTION COEFFICIENT MEASUREMENTS THAT WERE MADE ARE USEFUL AS A PILOT STUDY TO ILLUSTRATE THE REQUIRED MAGNITUDE OF ANY INVESTIGATION OF THE INTERRELATION OF STOPPING DISTANCES AND FRICTION COEFFICIENTS. IT APPEARS NECESSARY TO CONSIDER VARIATION IN THE NONSKID QUALITIES OF BOTH TIRES AND ROAD SURFACES TO OBTAIN THE MOST EFFECTIVE IMPROVEMENT IN OPERATING SAFETY. /AUTHOR/

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  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Vol 27, No 8, PP 159-169, 18 FIG, 3 TAB
  • Authors:
    • Normann, O K
  • Publication Date: 1953-6

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  • Accession Number: 00222781
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Oct 13 1994 12:00AM