When buying a car, every driver wants it to be comfortable, manageable and, most importantly, safe. Manufacturers Vehicle add a lot of gadgets to their products in order to. There are already cars automatic braking at the sight of an obstacle, automatic parking and many others useful features. But still, human control of machines still remains in the first place, and transport with such additional options not everyone can afford. More mundane indicators of safety are, for example, traction and the car's response to steering. These parameters are tested using various control experiments, one of which is the so-called moose test.
What does the name "moose test" mean?
« Moose test”- this is the ability to quickly and safely go around a sudden obstacle. This experiment consists in the fact that the car, when traveling, turns first sharply to the left, and then immediately sharply to the right, thus creating a very unstable position for itself. With this test, there is always a risk that the car will go into an uncontrollable skid or simply roll over from a strong overload. The test is considered passed if the vehicle stood on its wheels and was able to continue moving in its lane after a sharp detour around an impromptu obstacle. The car is considered the more stable and manageable than great speed he was able to develop upon passing the test. To do this, in case of success, increase the speed of movement and repeat the control experiment again until the next test fails.
This method of checking the stability of vehicles was first introduced in Sweden, and now it has become quite common in the world. It got the name “moose test” because the ability of a car to sharply go around obstacles can be very useful and save health or even save lives when, for example, an elk suddenly appears on the road.
The purpose of the "elk test"
Many readers will ask why it is necessary to go around an obstacle, and not slow down in front of it? First, hard braking can cause a skid, overload the wheel axles and create a serious obstacle or even emergency for vehicles behind you. Second, avoiding an obstacle is often safer than braking in front of it. This is extremely useful when the adjacent lane is free for such a maneuver. A detour is safer for a number of reasons: the turn takes less time to react, and the detour is more advantageous in terms of distance, as it will not be required, as opposed to trying to stop abruptly. And since in emergency the driver may not react to the danger immediately, the gain in distance can be very useful to him and he will simply decide on such a sharp and complex maneuver.
The most likely to fail this test tall cars whose center of gravity is quite far from the ground. They even often roll over or at least get out of control and knock down cones just because of the high center of gravity of the car. Also, the cause may be incorrect, so it is necessary to control it and keep it at the normal level. Moreover, even with normally inflated tubes, it is possible to fail this test simply because it was wearing low-quality tires. This becomes a huge problem for manufacturers, as every failed "moose test" leaves a greasy stain on the reputation. car brand, especially if this experiment was carried out by some major publication or TV channel.
The need for a "moose test"
Here the question arises about the objectivity of the "moose test". According to the conditions of the experiment, the alleged obstacle is too far from the start of the maneuver, so that the driver is quite capable of slowing down in time. The section of the road where the test is carried out is too narrow in width, but large in length, which is also far from reality in such a situation. Also, the test result does not show true handling - the dimensions of the car, the distribution of its mass, and other factors play a role here. This is shown by the fact that the Ferrari F430's "elk test" handling index is lower than that of the third Mazda, and best result shows the most common cards.
It is possible to judge whether this way of determining controllability is good or bad, depending on what goal we are pursuing when conducting this test. It is definitely not suitable for determining the most controllable car. Many well-driving vehicles do not take first place in the "moose test", and sometimes unremarkable cars become champions of this method of control.
Rather, this test is suitable for sending for revision quite bad models machines. After all, if the car rolls over during such a maneuver, it means that the weight is incorrectly distributed in it or some systems do not work well. In any case, a car that completely failed the “moose test” cannot be called safe. The transport in which people will carry themselves and their families must be ready for at least such loads, therefore, in this regard, the test is quite good and even necessary.
Of course, one should not try to reproduce the experimental conditions on own car on the roads common use: so you create dangerous situation both for themselves and for other road users. When choosing a car, it is better to get acquainted with the results of a test conducted by professionals.
We welcome your feedback on this material.
Now, as you know, new Tesla The Model X passed the National Aviation Administration's crash test program with great success. road safety USA (NHTSA). And even became the first crossover in the history of this department, which immediately earned 5 stars in 3 main testing categories and in all 9 subcategories. And it was decided to consolidate the achieved result with another test, which is commonly called the “elk test”.
The new record, of course, did not come as a big surprise, since for a long time and very actively working on creating the image of the "safest" for all its products.
And, I must say, she does a lot, because the press simply does not find information about terrible accidents with these cars. And a message about an accident, in which, for one reason or another, any Tesla has fallen, as a rule, is always accompanied by a separate comment about how the driver and all passengers leave the scene of the event with a maximum of a couple of scratches and bruises.
It is believed that high security Tesla is built into the very design of these cars, more precisely due to the very low center of gravity, and even more precisely due to the location , which in every Tesla are actually built into the bottom of the body.
And taking into account the fact that the batteries weigh a lot (for example, the weight of the Model S battery is about half a ton), Teslas are really more stable on average, that is, they roll over worse than their classmates with internal combustion engines. In other words, the famous "moose test" Tesla should have passed well too. And passed.
For those who are not quite in the know, let's clarify: the “moose test” allows you to identify how the car will behave when a sudden change in direction is made. And it was called elk because it is most similar to the maneuver that a driver almost instinctively makes when trying to bypass an elk, deer or any other object that suddenly appears on the road in front of a moving car.
In general, at the 70 km / h stipulated by the test conditions, Tesla seems to be able to dodge safely as well, which is confirmed by the corresponding video materials:
And for greater persuasiveness, you can also watch such a “movie”, which shows that the “moose test” in fact, not every car can pass just as easily and naturally:
The term "moose test" was invented by a Swedish journalist
popular magazine "Teknikens Varld", making the title almost
international (in English literature
elk test or moose test). In
time to check new
Mercedes-Benz A-class in 1997
g under
by journalist Robert
Collin', the car rolled over, what
promptly caused a great uproar in
press and forced the concern "Daimler Chrysler"
finalize the design and even postpone the creation of another "egghead" -
smart.
Where did the title come from?
The journalist immediately became the star of the broadcasts and during another interview he answered,
that a test rearrangement is simply needed,
because sometimes such a maneuver can save
you life, for example, if an elk suddenly jumps onto the road. In this way, the popular name “elk test” was quickly assigned to this test.
In the title "elk
test "some people see ridicule, suggesting that any moron who abruptly jumped out on
road in front of the car. But this is not so, because in countless states, including
in Russia, elk represent
real danger. They appear on
road suddenly, often at night, weigh up to 600 kg (as a small
car), and, most importantly, have long legs, as a result of which the blow
the animal falls, mainly, on the upper part of the cabin. Deadly endings for
passengers and driver are not unique in our time, and in individual states
(for example, Sweden) there are large-scale
moose dummies for crash tests.
The meaning of the test
Its essence lies in the fact that
detour of an obstacle that suddenly appeared on the road at a certain speed without braking is performed
hard turn of the steering wheel to the left
"moose", then sharply to the right,
going around the "moose", and again to the left, to
road. The higher the speed
when doing this
test, the more likely you are not to fly off the road and
do not tip over - as it should,
the higher the stability and maneuverability of the vehicle.
Journalists adore this test and you can simply meet it in the heading of virtually any decent publication.
Flip in moose dough - more affordable way PR for
auto publications. In general, ideas about the need and
the adequacy of this test
motorists are sprawling. Adherents behold
in its results the actual
machine safety. During the test period, the vehicle must under no circumstances
tip over or stand on two wheels.
But this is a problem for cars with the highest center of gravity. When passing
famous models of this test
Toyota Hilux cars, Renault Kangoo, Citroen Nemo German company
ADAC tumbled and danced. For
flawless passing of the car test
you need to have a good balance
maneuverability and precise steering.
"Moose test", in
different from the abstract driving on the race track, models
real traffic situation when the driver
involuntarily turns away from the obstacle and
later tries to dive back into his
strip. Most of all, test failure is associated with sudden
sluggish reactions to the steering wheel and the disposition of the car to skid.
The eminent magazine "Autoreview" held its own
tests to find out for
any brand of car, the maximum speed of the test with a cool driver, who at first thinks, and only later tries to find the limit, taking into account the parameters
cars. In a certain sense, it is created
artificial situation because the actual driver will
act reflexively, and he will have absolutely no time to think about the situation.
Because for purity
experience car experienced
5 volunteers in turn who tried to pass given test With
the first test at a speed of 65 km / h, which is 15-20 km / h more than the maximum probable. He is very curious
the fact that on some models
cars have not been tested by anyone, either
a critical detour of the obstacle became possible only thanks to the colossal experience of the driver
or just by chance. In particular, vans and pickups were guilty of this.
with their slopes, the highest center
masses and weak return to the steering wheel, for example,
test failed mitsubishi car
L200.
Manufacturers
cars do not like this test, and
the source is clear: there is a constant threat that
find a journalist who
exhibit the latest brand of car
as a completely dangerous model. The main difference of this test
from the crash test will be that it is not formal and is available to everyone
virtually everyone. Trouble in
this test is connected not only with the brand of the car and its
features, because they can be guilty
tires or no matter what the fault.
All in all,
the relevance of the moose test
questioned by
ordinary motorists.
Main
prerequisites:
- "Moose Test"
recreates a completely abstract road situation. After all, during the passage
test by the drivers of "Autoreview" it was assumed that the elk
is at a distance of about 20
meters. The most exciting thing is that calculators for calculating stopping distance, which
used when parsing an accident, they give approximately this value for braking at speed
at 65 km/h. It means that
it’s easier for the driver to try to slow down and he, most likely, will have time to do it, and not to carry out complex
maneuvers. - He gives
paradoxical results for different cars that don't always show their real
maneuverability. For example, the ordinary "Mazda 3" when passing the test, showed
its top speed when making this maneuver
- 85.5 km / h, but the eminent "Ferrari F430" -
only 79.2 km/h. - The moose test in the classic version suggests an indescribably filigree
driver avoiding obstacles
narrow corridors with a smooth uniform surface. As it turns out, the dimensions
cars also matter. Flawless result of the magazine
"Autoreview" at 99.9 km / h showed
an ordinary car, but not because it is faster and
better "Ferrari", but simply because
of its own dimensions, it will pass
everywhere. The test is not completely
takes into account braking performance cars, but they are of great importance.
It also does not take into account the actions of the machine in
mixed doubles when the wheels of the 1st side
they just slide on the ice or along the edge of the road. - Side test
educational point of view is very bad because subconsciously
pushes chauffeurs to very sky dangerous maneuvers. After all, the rearrangement scheme involves a trip to oncoming lane and a very sharp reversal (avoidance of an oncoming car). In real life, this maneuver looks suicidal, because in case of trouble, you specifically carry
full responsibility
for the results obtained, including,
if you become a victim of someone else's mistake.
Traffic rules do not prohibit maneuvering,
but if it ended in disaster -
you will not be a victim, but a perpetrator. - If the tester does not
can pass the “moose test” from the first try
at vehicle speed 65
km/h, what will happen to
ordinary driver at speed
car 105 km/h?
In general, the "elk test"
nevertheless very necessary, because it gives
the ability to weed out those machines that are prone to skidding or
coups. It's just not worth it
in order to choose for yourself when buying an impeccable car and in no way
case, do not conduct it without the help of others.
This is an imitation of a detour of a suddenly appeared obstacle with a return to your lane. Imagine that a large animal ran out onto the road (it is animals that suddenly appear) and you need to go around it. Stop, stop! Let's take a look at this difficult situation. I recently met a neighbor who was wearing a cast collar. “I wanted to go around the dog, but landed in a ditch and rolled over,” he explained. Here's a detour for you. Moral: never try to avoid animals that suddenly appear on the road. The correct solution would be to use emergency braking. Firstly, after braking, which will significantly reduce the speed, the impact on the animal will no longer be so strong. Secondly, the risk of departure from the roadway will be minimized. But what about the "moose test"? Let's leave it to the professionals.
True, professional testers, as soon as they find themselves "in the wheel", strive to demonstrate to their colleagues their high class and do the exercise at a very high speed.
Rice. 47."Moose test" is an imitation of a detour of a suddenly appeared obstacle with a return to your own lane.
Rice. 48. The “elk test”, or rearrangement according to the VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie) method, is performed at a speed of 60–80 km / h with the gas pedal released, that is, the driver only works with the steering wheel, trying to keep the car on the path. These conditions simulate the avoidance of an obstacle in an urban environment. Experts try to model actions ordinary drivers and sharply turn the steering wheel left and right, as an ordinary average driver would do when driving around an obstacle that suddenly appeared.
It is not right. The performance of the "elk test" is not a competition, but a test of the car's handling in critical situation. I watched as a passenger how this test is done by an expert from a German automobile magazine. Having approached the plastic cones simulating an obstacle, he sharply turned the steering wheel to the left and then just as sharply to the right, the car miraculously fit into the target between the cones. I asked him why he acts like a "teapot"? The expert replied: “And how do you think the average driver will act in this unforeseen situation? That's right - clumsily." Indeed, I thought, the expert is absolutely right.
Rice. 49. Scheme of the ISO test for controllability. When performing this exercise, experts actively work not only with the steering wheel, but also with the brake and gas. The initial gate speed is 120 km/h. The throttle is needed to keep the car under control, otherwise it may lose control.
One way or another, if you have a platform of sufficient size at your disposal, try your hand at performing this maneuver. To do this, I give the dimensions of the rearrangement, as we call the “elk test” (see Fig. 48). This exercise is performed with the gas and brake pedal released - only the steering wheel is at the disposal of the driver. The task is to go around an imaginary obstacle. A faster exercise, or the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) handling test, simulates driving into the oncoming lane, which you need to leave as soon as possible. It consists in passing at the maximum possible speed a flat section of road 125 meters long. In this case, along with the steering wheel, the gas and brake pedals are involved. The markings when placing cones are different. (The scheme is shown in Fig. 49.).
The term "moose test" was invented by a journalist from the Swedish popular magazine "Teknikens Varld", making the name actually international (in English literature, elk test or moose test). During a test of the new Mercedes-Benz A-class in 1997 under the control of journalist Robert Collin, the car overturned, which instantly caused a great resonance in the press and forced the Daimler Chrysler concern to finalize the design and even postpone the production of another "egghead" - Smart.
Where did the name come from?
The journalist instantly became the star of the broadcasts and during the next interview he answered that a test rearrangement is simply necessary, because sometimes such a maneuver can save your life, for example, if an elk suddenly jumps onto the road. Thus, the popular name "moose test" quickly stuck to this test.
In the name "moose test", some people see a mockery, suggesting that any idiot who abruptly jumped into the road in front of a car is considered a "moose". But this is not so, because in numerous states, including Russia, the elk pose a real threat. They appear on the road unexpectedly, often at night, weigh up to 600 kg (like a small car), and, most importantly, have long legs, as a result of which the animal hits mainly on the upper part of the cab. Fatal outcomes for passengers and the driver are not uncommon in our time, and in some states (for example, Sweden) there are large-scale moose dummies to perform crash tests.
The meaning of the test
Its essence is that when driving around an unexpected obstacle on the road at a certain speed without braking, a sharp turn of the steering wheel is made to the left, from the “elk”, then sharply to the right, going around the “elk”, and again to the left, onto the road. The higher the speed during this test, the greater the chance that you will not fly off the road and do not roll over - therefore, the higher the stability and controllability of the car. Journalists love this test and you can easily find it in the rubric of almost any reputable publication. Flipping in moose dough is a more accessible PR method for automotive publications. However, opinions about the need and adequacy of this test among motorists differ. Adherents see in its results the actual safety of the machine. During the test period, the car must not tip over or stand on two wheels in any case. But this is a problem for vehicles with a high center of gravity. When passing this test, famous car models Toyota Hilux, Renault Kangoo, Citroen Nemo of the German company ADAC tumbled and danced. To pass the test perfectly, the car must have a good balance of handling and precise steering.
The Moose Test, in contrast to the abstract driving on a race track, simulates a real traffic situation, when the driver involuntarily turns away from an obstacle and then tries to dive back into his lane. Most of all, the failure of the test is due to unexpectedly sluggish reactions to the steering wheel and the car's predisposition to skidding.
The famous magazine "Autoreview" conducted its own tests to find out for any brand of car the maximum speed of the test with a high-class driver who first thinks, and only then tries to find the limit, taking into account the properties of the car. In a certain sense, an artificial situation is created, since the real driver will act reflexively, and he will have absolutely no time to think about the situation.
Therefore, for the purity of the experiment, the car was tested in turn by five volunteers who tried to pass this test on the first attempt at a speed of 65 km/h, which is 15-20 km/h more than the maximum possible. It is very curious that no one passed the test on some car models, or an emergency detour of the obstacle became possible only thanks to the colossal experience of the driver or just by chance. In particular, vans and pickups were guilty of this with their slopes, high center of mass and weak feedback to the steering wheel, for example, the Mitsubishi L200 car did not pass the test.
Automobile manufacturers do not like this test, and the source is clear: there is a constant threat that a journalist will be found who will expose new brand car as an absolutely unsafe model. The main difference between this test and the crash test is that it is not formal and is easily accessible to almost everyone. Failure in this test is not only related to the brand of the car and its features, because tires or any malfunction can be to blame.
However, the relevance of the moose test is questioned by ordinary motorists.
Main reasons:
- The Moose Test recreates a completely abstract road situation. Indeed, during the test, the drivers of the Autoreview assumed that the elk was at a distance of about 20 meters. The most interesting thing is that the calculators for calculating the braking distance, which are used in the analysis of an accident, give approximately the same value for braking at a speed of 65 km / h. This means that it is easier for the driver to try to slow down and he, most likely, will have time to do it, and not to carry out complex maneuvers.
- It gives paradoxical results for different cars, which do not always reflect their real controllability. For example, the usual Mazda 3, when passing the test, showed its top speed during this maneuver - 85.5 km / h, but the famous Ferrari F430 - only 79.2 km / h.
- The moose test in the traditional version implies an incredibly filigree detour by the driver of an obstacle in narrow corridors with a smooth, uniform surface. As it turned out, the dimensions of the machine also matter. An ordinary car showed an ideal result at Autoreview magazine at 99.9 km / h, but not because it is faster and better than Ferrari, but simply because of its dimensions, it will go everywhere. The test does not take into account braking properties cars, but they are of great importance. It also does not take into account the actions of the car in the mixed, when the wheels of one side simply slide on the ice or along the edge of the road.
- The test from the educational point of view is very bad because it subconsciously pushes drivers to very dangerous maneuvers. After all, the rearrangement scheme involves driving into the oncoming lane and a very sharp return back (dodging from the oncoming car). In real life, this maneuver looks suicidal, because in case of failure, it is you who are absolutely responsible for the results obtained, including if you become a victim of someone else's mistake. Traffic rules do not prohibit maneuvering, however, if it ended in tragedy, you will not become a victim, but the culprit.
- If the tester fails on the first attempt to pass the “moose test” at a car speed of 65 km/h, what will happen to an ordinary driver at a car speed of 105 km/h?
