Improving yaw stability control in severe instabilities by means of a validated model of driver steering

An experiment was carried out on a low friction test track, where seven truck drivers repeatedly performed collision avoidance and stabilization with a 4×2 tractor. A previous finding from a simulator study was confirmed: In severe yaw instability, drivers engaged in a yaw rate nulling type of steering behavior, in conflict with the assumptions of conventional electronic stability control (ESC), and the experiment provided indications of conventional ESC behaving suboptimally in these situations. Promising results were obtained for modified versions of the ESC, based on the yaw rate nulling model of steering, but further development work is needed.