The Correlation between Driver’s Feeling of Confidence in High Speed Cornering and Vehicle’s Side-Slip Angle

－ Analysis Based on Driver Model and Experimental Validation Using Driving Simulator －

Abstract

The vehicle, of which the four-wheel steering was controlled such that the vehicle’s body headed outward compared to the conventional vehicle during high speed cornering, gave better feeling of confidence. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the cause of the feeling. The simulation based on the look-ahead driver model shows that the vehicle heading outward makes the steering return correction decrease and makes the steering velocity at the initial positioning lower compared to the vehicle heading inward. The simulation result was validated by the experiment using the driving simulator. Many drivers feel confidence because the vehicle positioning becomes easier when the vehicle heads outward in cornering.