RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS FOR DETERMINING CAR HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

DISTINCTION IS MADE BETWEEN HANDLING, WHICH IS THE BEHAVIOR OF A CAR-MAN COMBINATION IN ACTUAL DRIVING, AND OTHER VARIABLES, SUCH AS VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL RESPONSE PROPERTIES AND VEHICLE COMPONENT DESIGNS. THE RELATION BETWEEN CAR-MAN HANDLING BEHAVIOR AND SAFETY (AS INDICATED BY THE FREQUENCY AND EXTENT OF ACCIDENT INJURIES AND FATALITIES) IS DISCERNIBLE IN ACCIDENT STATISTICS. BUT THE RELATION OF THE CAR-ONLY PORTION (ITS DIRECTIONAL RESPONSE PROPERTIES) TO THE FREQUENCY OF ACCIDENTS AND CONSEQUENTLY TO THE EXTENT OF INJURIES AND FATALITIES IS LARGELY UNKNOWN. FURTHERMORE, THE RELATION OF THE VEHICLE RESPONSE PROPERTIES TO ACTUAL HANDLING IN THE DRIVING POPULATION IS POORLY KNOWN PARTLY BECAUSE OF DIFFICULTIES IN DEFINING HANDLING WITH SUFFICIENT OBJECTIVITY TO ALLOW FOR ITS MEASUREMENT. THE PAPER BRIEFLY SUMMARIZES PRESENT PRACTICE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAR DESIGN TO A HANDLING CRITERION, AND PRESENTS SOME BASIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR RESEARCH STUDIES THAT WILL RELATE HANDLING BEHAVIOR TO VEHICLE PROPERTIES. A HISTORY OF THE RECENT INTEREST IN RELATING HANDLING TO VEHICLE PROPERTIES IS ALSO INCLUDED. /AUTHOR/