A comparative study of legislation and stability measures of heavy articulated vehicles in different regions

This study was carried out to compare a number of stability measures of European heavy trucks with the performance of other high-capacity vehicle combinations in a range of OECD countries. Comparisons are made with truck combinations according to legislation in the USA, South Africa, Central and Southern Europe, and Scandinavia. Also the legislation for high-capacity configurations in the above-mentioned countries are compared, e.g., maximum weights and dimensions. This paper addresses the relationship of truck size and weight policy, vehicle handling and stability, and thus safety. The analysis is performed using the multibody simulation tool ADAMS.