Dynamic Environment = Environment + Vehicle + Driver

Dynamic Environment = Environment + Vehicle + Driver

The steering wheel  is for hands-on directional control of the vehicle and directional control is fundamentally determined by what happens with the steering wheel.  How you hold and control the steering wheel has a significant affect on vehicle control and ride quality.  Low speed maneuvers require a totally different steering technique than vehicle maneuvers at extreme speed.

Roadway Environment – Where You Drive – AASHTO and MUTCD

Driving the vehicle is a complex set of ever evolving issues.  Travelling on an open freeway is very different than driving on a congested inner-city street or urban highway.  Highway Planners are concerned with the Civil Engineering associated with roadway design including traffic flow, physical environmental appearance, water drainage, sight lines, physical contour of elevation, and every other physical aspect of the roadway.  After the roadway is built then it must be maintained.  If you are interested in the foundation of roadways then research the links to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials or  AASHTO and Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices or MUTCD.

Vehicle – What You Drive

Every vehicle has some common characteristics and some unique traits.  For new cars and trucks there is a general dynamic to how they drive.  Two similar vehicles equipped in the same manner would be expected to drive in similar ways.  Two similar vehicles equipped in a different manner would be expected to drive in different ways.

To illustrate some basic differences here is a good example with two trucks sitting side-by-side, one is a basic plain-vanilla 1/2 ton the average person might have.  The second could be a fully equipped heavy-haul 3/4 ton.  No-load operation in the 3/4 is very solid.  Load the 1/2 like the 3/4 and driving stability is compromised and the suspension could break.

Two real world examples come to mind to illustrate this difference.  One was a 1/2 ton pickup with a total of eight (8)  workers on-board pulling a trailer with their equipment.  The pickup had a loss of control and overturned in a pavement resurfacing area on the interstate after traversing a linear 1″ pavement elevation.  Simply put the truck was overloaded.

A second example is the basic 1/2 ton fitted with multiple optional load devices to permit the truck to pull a heavy travel trailer.  This truck was – suspension wise – turned into a vehicle that could deal with a very heavy load.  Inspection of the truck after the crash revealed that a rear axle had snapped at the axle flange.  Simply put, there is a difference in load capacity of the suspension systems.

Dynamic Driving = Environment + Vehicle + Driver = Where you drive, what you drive and how you drive

As the driver you have to operate the vehicle safely in the driving environment.  To say that it is imperative to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel at all times is fundamental and the Shuffle Technique can be used for general steering wheel movement.  Attention to what is going on with the vehicle ad the environment will prepare you what is coming up such as this example from the High Performance Driver Training Program:

after the classroom time, we took them on the 10 cent tour.  After taking the students through the various activities and heading back to our facility at about 60 mph the instructor would illustrate how to perform a set of controlled back-to-back 180 degree turns of the car.  After experiencing a set of driving maneuvers that they had never been through the students would conclude that the fellow behind the wheel knew something that they did not.

Attention to the vehicle and environment established a good foundation for safe driving.  Hands on the wheel and a focus on what is coming up down the road, provides a basis for you to cope with unexpected hazards.  Every roadway and every car have problems and limits.  Adding in the unexpected can bring excitement and terror such as a child running out between parked cars on a city street, or dog running out on a country road, or cresting a small incline and seeing a stopped car on the road, or seeing a steel part right in your tire travel path on the interstate.

If you have pushed the car to its limit and you have experienced a total loss of control then you have reached a terror point where you are totally along for the ride.  Outside of a proper training area, experiencing a total loss of control can be a very bad event.  In a proper training area the Skid Pad is used to gain comfort with a total loss of control and learn how to regain control after a loss of control.  Terror can be replaced with knowledge.

Maintaining optimal control is the mark of a great driver.  This is the real fun and success of successful driving.

Revenge Of The Electric Car

A New Electric Car Film, Information & Technical Updates

EV1 at the Henry Ford Museum

Much is happening on the electric car front.  The Chevy Volt final design has been finalized and GM is moving to have the car in dealerships in 2010.  Chevrolet has permitted a few journalists to drive the Volt and the reviews are all very positive.  There will be much more hype over this car as it comes to production.  However, the good thing is that this car appears to be carefully engineered and provides good driving and performance characteristics as addressed in Chelsea Sextons Road Test.  Much depends on the success of the Volt for mainstream electric cars.  It is clear that GM Current Product Engineering will be very involved with the Volt. 

Revenge Of The Electric Car

Chris Payne and P.G. Morgan were Director and Producer of Who Killed The Electric Car? and have teamed up for a new film Revenge Of The Electric Car which will debut in 2010.  A web site and blog have been setup to chronicle developments associated with the film and related technologies.  An intertesting and informative road test article on the Chevy Volt has been prepared by Chelsea Sexton.

2010 GM Volt Update

LG Chem of Korea got the contract to provide lithium-ion batteries for the Volt.  GM will incorporate the batteries into  their proprietary battery pack design and software control so that they will be able to manage continued battery development and provide the battery packs to other customers.

Nano Engineered Batteries

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to see a presentation about nano-engineered battery developments.  To say that nano engineering is a hot topic is an understatement.  In a fundamental way a base definition for nano engineering a battery would be to increase the energy density of the battery. 

Asking an automotive battery pack quesitons went like this: if an electric car battery pack weighing 1,000 lb were to be replaced by a nano-engineered battery what would the weight of the nano-engineered battery be?  Answer — 10 lb.

One thing is for sure, if the nano-engineered battery is anywhere close on performance and packaging then the entirety of the electric car will be light weight and spectacular.  Basically the car would represent a rolling chassis with minimum weight for the powertrain.  Such a real-world vehicle could have a curb weight of around 2,000 lb.

A Visit To The Closed Bill Heard Chevrolet Orlando

A Visit To Bill Heard In Orlando

Several days ago I had the opportunity to stop at the Bill Heard Chevrolet dealership in Orlando and take some photos for the Tribune.  Taking a look around the Bill Heard property in some ways is like visiting a grave sight after everyone has left and before the casket is lowered into the ground.  In this massive location I found everything to be totally quiet.  Looking around and seeing the totally quiet facility easily produced mental images of the greatness that had occurred in this Cathedral to Mr. Big Deal.

One Big Facility

Big signs, big buildings, big showrooms, big parts area, big service area, an administrative complex and other structures surrounded by acres of parking for new and used vehicles.  This is one absolutely huge place.

Life After People

The facility looks like the doors were shut and the gates chained and nothing else has happened in the months after collapse of the Bill Heard empire.  Things take on the appearance of a sci-fi film about life after people.  Birds chirp and the wind blows.  There are no cars and no people.

Life With People

Looking at the various structures on the property it became clear that in better times this was a massive economic and social engine.  Huge numbers of customers and employees were here every day.  Parts, service, sales, vendors, tool trucks, car shows, kids, adults, seniors, business leaders, community leaders, and the list could continue on-and-on; this place was a city of commerce and historical significance.  Bill Heard Chevrolet in Orlando is that big and it was that significant.

Photos in the article provide a general feel for the facility.  Additional photos are posted in the Gallery.

Bite of the Viper

Bitten By The Viper

Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli has potentially opened a proverbial Hornet’s Nest by saying that there were no serious interested parties for the Dodge Viper and inaccurately stating the offers for Viper.  In Washington on June 4th it came out that a Michigan-based investor group had offered $35 million for the Viper car line.  However, Chrysler reported in their bankruptcy filing that the best offer that came along was $5.5 million.

This Looks Like A Major Error

His statement may be valid, although at this time it is has become public that the higher offer was made.  This mis-communication may be an honest error on the part of Mr. Nardelli.  Unfortunately for Chrysler and Mr. Nardelli, Washington, D.C. Congressmen and Senators will likely take this topic and turn it into a media show that will not be good for Chrysler.

Chrysler Smoke In Washington

For now the smoke is rising on this matter and it has been said that where there is smoke there is fire.

The Real Money

Viper value is a “drop in the bucket” of money associated with Chrysler.  This money is almost totally negligible when keeping Chrysler alive.  Although, if there is an error in reporting the information then everything that Chrysler brings forward will be suspect.  That outcome would certainly make future negotiations between Chrysler and the Government much more challenging.

Killer Texting

Killer Texting — June 2, 2009

Texting while driving is a very Dangerous Game.  The Dangerous Game is that the driver will not get into an “Event”, and one defintion of “Event” is fatal collision.

Just about every driver thinks they are great.  If the driver has attended a High Performance Driver Training Program or other advanced driving program then the driver has not been as skilled or trained as best possible.

Dr Phil Show – Killer Texting

Dr Phil did a show that appeared recently dealing with Killer Texting.  This was a particularlly significant show because the Automotive Tribuen totally agrees that texting while driving is deadly.

In the last couple of decades before involvement with the Automotive Tribune many would say that I was active as a Forensic Engineer who specialized in accident reconstruction, vehicle product liability and vehicle black box technology.  For a period of years my firm analyzed approximately 1% of the annual traffic fatalalities in the US or about 400 annually.  I have done approximately 1,000 depositions and 100 trials and have concluded that there are a lot of ways to get killed.

Staying alive is frequently a 1 second window.  This window means that in the period of 1 second the killer vehicle will be some place ahead or behind of your travel path.  If you are not there when the other vehicle comes along you will not be struck.  On the left is a traffic sign from Ontario, Canada.  It communicates a very clear message.

It is critical to be able to recognize a hazard.  Texting puts the driver in a situation that they do not recognize hazards as far away as possible.  Also, texting takes the hands off the wheel so minor pot holes or debris on the roadway can pull the steering out from the driver’s knee.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

IIHS has a great deal of information at their web site about texting and highway safety.  Arkansas, California, Utah and Virginia are among the states that have banned texting for all drivers.  Here is a May 2009 report and map which details cellphone and texting bans.  IIHS also has an informative article Teen Drivers Often Ignore Bans On Using Cellphones and Texting.

Mathematics For Collision

Travelling at a constant 50 mph for one second means that the car will travel a distance of 73′.  A historic time associated with driver perception reaction time when exposed to an unexpected hazard when driving is 1.5 seconds which means that at 50 mph the car would travel a distance of 110′.  With the driver taking their eyes and concentration off the road and then looking up will require a perception reaction greater than the normal time and distance in addition to the fact that the driver does not have both hands on the wheel to control the car.  Very aggressive deceleration (-.7g) results in a stopping distance from 50 mph of 119′ and would take 3.25 seconds.

Many More Fatalities From Texting

Texting is addictive, otherwise drivers would not text when attempting to drive.  If you are going to not be where the wayward car is you must recognize the hazard before it gets to you.  There are some situations where it is impossible to avoid impact.  Those situations might be referred to as an Accident or Unplanned Impact.  Most Accidents are not Accidents they are properly defined as Collision Events.  Texting is a distraction and distractions on the highway causes collisions and collisions can be fatal.

On the left is a copy of an old post card that has been in my office for years.  In a morbid way this postcard seems appropriate.  Brock Yates and Andy Rooney would certainly have something to say about this very important and timely topic of Killer Texting.  It is very likely that each with their own unique brand of humorand communication, would provide a very focused assessment about being a driver that operates the car in a concerned manner.  Dr. Phil and the Automotive Tribune have made their comments about this deadly subject.

GM Bankruptcy Filing For A New Start

GM Files Bankruptcy June 1, 2009

The Automotive Tribune has chronicled the evolution of this saga for some time with focus into selected or unique issues associated with the auto maker.  All car guys have some level of concern whether or not you like GM because problems with one manufacturer o supplier affects teh entire industry.  GM’s formal bankruptcy filing on June 1st in Manhattan is historic. … Continue Reading