Vehicle Rollover Avoidance

Abstract

The vehicle rollover-avoidance technology related to friction-induced vehicle rollover events and necessary enablers for rollover-avoidance control has been discussed. The majority of rollover events are caused by the driver's attempt to recover the road pavement, while a small portion, less than 5%, are due to friction-induced rollover. Roll-stability-enhancement-control systems require feedback of vehicle roll angle and roll rate to stabilize critical vehicle rollover conditions in a timely manner. Friction-induced rollover occurs when the combined lateral forces from the front and rear axles generate enough vehicle roll moment to overcome the vehicle moment of inertia. Vehicle roll motion is primarily caused by inertial forces, which are measured by lateral acceleration and, in the case of high vehicle sideslip angles, by tire overturning moment. The available onboard measurements for the modern vehicles with standard yaw-stability control systems include lateral acceleration, yaw rate, steering-wheel angle, and wheel velocities.