The ball-bank indicator has been used to help set the “safe speed” on highway curves since the1930s. It is also used to set the advisory curve speed. The basic idea is to have the driver“feel safe and comfortable” travelling around a corner and this has been observed for specificangles at certain speeds. This paper derives an equation to relate the ball bank indicator anglevalue to the coefficient of friction generated during the turn. The precision of the results isinvestigated.The paper also compares the ball-bank indicator values and the observed lateral accelerationfrom a test track and a highway in British Columbia.
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