1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 
THE TANKER
Page 41
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
To show how easily a trailer will roll, IRST uses a Volvo FH and a tanker, connected by an articulated fifth wheel and filled with water, with 'stabilisers' attached. Picture a large-scale version of the stabilisers you had attached to your first bicycle and you've pretty much got the idea.
Once in the driving seat, I set off in a figure of eight. Slowly at first, but gradually increasing my speed. Two things struck me about this. First, it doesn't take much to get the tanker to tip on to the stabiliser — only about 12mph. When you consider that some drivers may start accelerating before the trailer is straight as they pull off a roundabout, it's surprising that more don't go over.
The second is that I can't feel it when the trailer starts to roil. You would think that even a new driver like me would be able to feel it starting to tip, but there's no warning at all.
The next step is to have a go with the stability control system turned on. This is a facility that learns a driver's habits, and, while initially it does slow the truck down when turning a tight bend with a bit of speed, as I continue, the effect is less dramatic. While it is stopping me from going around too fast, it isn't doing it in a way that seems to be slowing me down.