Objective Evaluation of the Simulated Handling Characteristics of a Vehicle in a Double Lane Change Manoeuvre

Computer simulation of the handling characteristics of a vehicle performing a double lane change manoeuvre is investigated as an aid for vehicle development. An existing computer simulation program for vehicle dynamics was upgraded to perform transient handling simulations. Furthermore a driver model was developed to steer the vehicle along a prescribed path during closed loop simulations. Good agreement was obtained between experimental and simulated results. The simulation program is demonstrated to be an aid for the objective evaluation of the influence of vehicle characteristics on handling in a double lane change.