The low-speed manoeuvrability of a long vehicle is greatly improved when the vehicle is broken down into several short units that articulate with respect to one another. Such multiple-articulated vehicles have, however, a tendency to exhibit poor directional stability and low levels of rollover immunity during transient manoeuvres executed at highway speeds. A model which can be used to simulate the directional and roll response characteristic of a wide variety of multiple-articulated vehicle combinations is presented.
Abstract