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This paper provides an overview of safety situations of commercial vehicles on the basis of databank concerning more than 4500 accidents. Different safety points of view are analysed and evaluated. A special accident reconstruction program (CARAT) is interpreted which is able to solve the traffic and accident questions in practical approach. It summarises conclusions and proposals on road safety of heavy vehicles in Europe.

A photogrammetric transformation is presented, which maps photograph image points to the location of the same points on a nominally plane real surface. The transformation uses 4 base points on the real surface that have known locations and is implemented by an interactive program entitled TRANS4; which runs on MS/PC DOS microcomputer systems. The program addresses three of the five major tasks in the process of extracting geometric data from photographs of a traffic accident site and makes the method a realistic option for investigators. The two other tasks are also discussed. The character and relative magnitude of several errors associated with the transformation are discussed, along with techniques for managing the errors.

The author surveys some of the general conditions prevailing in the street-railway field and the prospective development of a new type of service, in discussing the necessity for closer cooperation between the engineers of the automotive industry and the operating organizations of the railways, the idea being to develop flexible transportation-equipment that will coordinate with the operation of present railway-transportation facilities and to promote the utilization, wherever feasible, of railway power-supply in the employment of flexible bus-type equipment in supplementing and extending railway-organization service. Changing conditions are outlined, the influences tending toward flexible equipment are stated, and the differences of engineering practice pertaining in the railway and automotive fields are commented upon to show wherein railway and automotive engineers can cooperate.

PRESENTED here is a method of correlating job requirements with truck performance, so that the best possible truck will be specified for the application. The result of following this procedure, the author claims, is to obtain maximum performance of the vehicle at minimum cost.

The popular view of the life of a commercial truck driver is one of excitement, travel and freedom. It is also mostly wrong. Heavy truck driving is difficult, exacting, often dangerous work. This paper details some of the hazards which face the person behind the wheel, and some approaches to improving that unique workplace.

THESE down-to-earth speculations by Mr. Bachman should help to clarify for all their picture of the truck of the future. Mr. Bachman considers such a detailed but important item as increasing the overall width up to the rear fender top line to 102 in. from the 96-in. Figure now adhered to in all but two states for the maximum width at any point, but keeping the width of the cab at 96 in., because in traveling along the highway, the cab actually takes up several more inches, anyway. These extra inches across the fenders would allow improvements to be made in tire mounting, spring suspension, riding qualities, stability, and braking. Other changes foreseen by Mr. Bachman include: increases in weight and horsepower, allowing for faster and more efficient transportation, especially on the first-class highways planned by the Federal government for connecting all large cities and most small ones; more comfortable cabs for the driver; and quieter operation.

Truck Frame Siderail Design The recent development of high strength steels for truck frame usage has led to a refinement of the section proportions of conventional channel siderail designs. To enable the frame designer to fully utilize the availability of high strength steels, to reduce the weight of truck frames and increase their durability, new design criteria must be established. This paper highlights the basic design alternatives from which the frame designer can design improved frame assemblies utilizing high strength steels.

THIS paper outlines tests made to verify the SAE recommended practice for estimating truck ability performance described in TR-82. The author has collected data on four vehicles and compares it with the results computed in TR-82 and with a Method X. The data includes information on air and rolling resistance, effect of wind velocity, chassis friction power, grade ability, and the like. The author concludes that the SAE method of TR-82 is at the present time the most reliable method for computing truck ability.