METHODOLOGY FOR PREDICTING CAR AND TRUCK HANDLING ASSESSMENTS

International cooperation addressed the prediction of handling assessments in order to reduce experimental expenditure. Test standards and a new assessment scale were used in handling studies of a car and trucks. Data were reduced by principal component analysis. Performance measures and assessments were recorded with a car during straight lane-keeping under tire pressure variations. Truck assessments were recorded in a lane-change. The results indicate that valid predictors of assessments are: (1) times-to-line-crossing with cars; and (2) short yaw and lateral acceleration lag times and large bandwidths and low roll gain parameters with trucks. Stability factors, steady state gains and phase differences do not relate to assessments. (A) For the covering abstract see IRRD 870290.