Heavy rigid vehicle stability and dynamics
An introduction programme for drivers of heavy motor vehicles
1. The basics
Vehicle dynamics:
This term refers to the motion of a motor vehicle and the various forces that act upon the vehicle when it is in motion.
An often overlooked aspect of the dynamics of motor vehicles is that in the majority of situations a vehicle has to be moving before the forces acting on it affect its performance. Thus (with only a few minor exceptions) a person - the driver - must make the vehicle move. It follows then that if the person in control of the vehicle is making it move then this person should have total control over whether the dynamics of the vehicle will be a contributing factor in any crash the vehicle may be involved with.
