Citation

Thomson R, Valtonen J. Transp. Res. Rec. 2002; 1797: 82-88.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.3141/1797-10

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

V-shaped ditches represent a significant portion of the roadside environment in Sweden and Finland. The consequences of vehicles leaving the road and entering V-shaped ditches are not well documented in simulation or experimental studies. A series of tests were conducted to document the behavior of passenger cars entering V-shaped ditches. Test conditions ranged from 5degrees to 20degrees and 80 to 110 km/h. The tests resulted in many vehicles passing over the backslope, and rollovers were observed in four of the tests. Preliminary simulations of the test conditions were not able to fully reconstruct the vehicle motions. Castor steering of the vehicle and ground contact with the vehicle chassis were the two most important features observed in the tests, but they were not incorporated into the simulation model.