A Comparison of Emergency Braking Characteristics of Passenger Cars

The results of an empirical study comparing the deceleration performance characteristics of several passenger cars is presented. Three definitions of average coefficient of friction are developed and utilized as a basis for comparison of the performance of the vehicles. In addition, the percent energy dissipation before skid mark initiation for each vehicle is also presented and compared. The interpretation of skid marks utilizing a site specific skid test with a dissimilar vehicle is then discussed from the perspective of accident reconstruction.