Test Procedures for Studying Vehicle Dynamics in Lane-Change Maneuvers

The use of both closed- and open-loop test procedures for evaluating the performance of motor vehicles in lane-change maneuvers is reviewed. It is found that (a) variations in driver skill, (b) differences in the amount of information imparted to the driver by the layout of the test course, (c) the asymmetry in response between right and left lane-changes, and (d) the lack of understanding of the connection between open- and closed-loop performance present difficulties in evaluating lane-change performance. Further study is recommended using a particular form of evasive performance test to seek identifiable ergonomic and vehicle dynamics bounds on driver-vehicle system performance.