This paper is the third part of a series of vehicle tests designed and conducted in order to further the understanding of vehicle handling and responses associated with a tire disablement event. Under inflated or deflated tires are known to cause increased forward drag and lateral steering effects on vehicles. These effects are commonly suggested to be the cause of driver loss of control and subsequent vehicular accidents. The increased drag and induced steering effects of under inflated and deflated tires are frequently an issue in an accident reconstruction. This publication addresses a series of tests which were conducted to obtain comparative drag and lateral steering effects after the disablement of current generation zero pressure, or run flat, type of tires such as those equipped on some upper end vehicles in recent years. These tests were conducted in accordance with the test protocol defined in SAE 970954. Vehicle handling and response characteristics were evaluated during and after a disablement of a zero pressure run flat tire. (A)
Abstract