VEHICLE HANDLING IS MINOR FACTOR IN ACCIDENTS

RESEARCHERS POSTULATE THAT THE DRIVER PLAYS BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLE IN VEHICLE HANDLING. SOME STATISTICS SUGGEST THAT HUMAN ERROR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 90 PERCENT OF ALL ACCIDENTS. RECENT STUDIES SHOW THAT ONLY A FRACTION OF DRIVERS PRODUCE LATERAL ACCELERATIONS AS 0.35 G OR LONGITUDINAL DECLERATIONS AS HIGH AS 0.6 G IN EMERGENCIES. THEREFORE A TYPICAL DRIVER MAY BE USING LESS THAN 50 PERCENT OF A VEHICLE'S CORNNERING ABILITY. THE EASE OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND NOT THE LEVEL OF VEHICLE PERFORMANCE CONSTITUTES THE MOST IMPORTANT VEHICLE HANDLING QUALITY. REPORTEDLY, IT IS NOW POSSIBLE TO REALISTICALLY PREDICT VEHICLE HANDLING QUALITIES BY COMPUTER. THUS HANDLING QUALITIES MAY BE INCORPORATED IN THE VEHICLE WHILE IT IS STILL BEING DESIGNED.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/2240909
• Publication Date: 1973-11

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 16
• Serial:
  • Automotive Engineering
  • Volume: 81
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
  • ISSN: 0098-2571

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Driver performance; Drivers; Handling characteristics; Information processing; Personnel performance; Steering; Vehicle performance
• Uncontrolled Terms: Handling; Longitudinal movement
• Old TRIS Terms: Cornering (Vehicle); Lateral movement
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224490
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 31 1974 12:00AM