Modification of Vehicle Handling Performance by Four-Wheel Steering System

At past ESV conferences, we have reported on a series of studies on how the driver's control performance is affected by vehicle steering response. These studies showed that a four-wheel steering system can reduce the delay in lateral acceleration response to steering action, which may result in better control performance of the driver.

The present report examines the handling performance of an experimental vehicle fitted with a four-wheel steering system under a wider range of operating conditions. The studies were conducted using mathematical models and simulation of the driver-vehicle system, plus road tests.

The findings indicate that the four-wheel steering system may provide better vehicle handling performance than a conventional two-wheel steering system.

A vehicle incorporating this steering system may exhibit improved accident avoidance capabilities.