The Dynamic Behavior of Heavy Vehicles in Cornering Actions: An Assessment of the Problem

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This article focuses on the critical road safety issue of vehicle rollover during cornering. It constructs a calculation model for rollover velocity through theoretical derivation and verifies the model's effectiveness using real accident cases, which holds certain significance. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of detail refinement, content supplementation, and expression optimization.

1、It lacks concrete numerical evidence. It is recommended to incorporate specific experimental data to rigorously substantiate the claims made in the abstract.

2、The vertical axis definition is missing in Figure 1. It is necessary to unify the chart symbol system, supplement the units and ranges of key coordinate axes, and avoid ambiguity.

3、The innovation of the paper is not highlighted in the introduction.For readers to quickly catch the contributions of the authors, it would be better to highlight major difficulties.

4、After Formula 25 on Page 20, Formula 13 is incorrectly placed. This error needs to be corrected, and a full-text check of formula numbering should be conducted.

5、Rollover evaluation indices can determine whether a vehicle will roll over, thereby enabling early control to prevent rollover. Meanwhile, the roll angle and velocity at the moment of rollover can also be obtained by establishing a vehicle dynamics model. Please explain the advantages of the formulas for rollover velocity and roll angle proposed in this paper compared with rollover evaluation indices.

6、The formula proposed in the conclusion takes into account the suspension stiffness characteristics of the vehicle. It is necessary to compare this formula with formulas that do not consider stiffness characteristics to prove that incorporating suspension stiffness characteristics yields better results.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This article is of significant scientific interest and a significant contribution to the development of science and technology, but requires some revision to improve its clarity, validity, and completeness.

Brief summary

This article addresses the pressing issue of reducing the number of road accidents involving trucks and passenger vehicles caused by lateral rollover.

The aim of the study is to develop a new method for determining the critical rollover speed and roll angle of a vehicle during cornering.

A distinctive feature of the new method is its consideration of the elastic properties of vehicle suspension systems in the calculation methodology. A key strength of the developed method is its application in onboard rollover prevention systems during vehicle motion, i.e., in real time.

General Conceptual Comments

The article is well-structured, relevant, and contributes to the study of the stability of trucks and passenger vehicles. The topic is original, and the conclusions deepen our understanding of lateral rollover processes in trucks and passenger vehicles. However, there are a number of points that require attention:

1. A weakness of the study is the neglect of the elastic properties of the vehicle's tires in the calculation model, which, along with the main suspension systems, actually influence the vehicle's roll during cornering.
2. A methodological inaccuracy is the failure to take into account the damping forces in the vehicle's suspension. This assumption is possible when conducting a static calculation, but when considering a dynamic rollover prevention system onboard a vehicle during motion, the legitimacy of this assumption requires further verification. However, since the proposed method has been tested and validated by the results of expert examinations of real road accidents, the legitimacy of its application can be considered justified.

Comments

1) Formula (10) includes the exponent 𝜇, but no explanation (designation) of this parameter is provided.

2) In Figure 11, the red text on a red background is difficult to read. 3) Figure 12 shows the internal parameters of the 3D computer-aided design tools, but they are difficult for the reader to discern. It is recommended to either exclude them completely or make the image clearer.

Answers to General Questions

Clarity and Relevance: The manuscript is written in clear, scientifically sound language. The relevance of the stated research topic is beyond doubt. The work is fairly clearly structured. However, the formulation of the research objective should be clarified and reflected more clearly in the abstract and introduction.

Originality and Contribution: The research is original. The results obtained contribute to the advancement of existing knowledge and expand the possibilities for the development of modern vehicle systems. The results clearly advance existing knowledge.

References: The list of references is generally relevant and includes current, modern research. Self-citations are present, but not excessive and are justified by the context of the study.

Scientific Validity: The study materials are scientifically sound. The experimental data support the stated hypotheses. The structure and technical rationale of the study are sound. The study plan is clear, and the findings are justified. The analytical method is described in detail and allows any other researcher to reproduce the results. The methods for simulating vehicle rollover dynamics and the software used in the study are briefly discussed.

Figures and Tables: The images, tables, and graphs presented in the manuscript are clear and accurately represent the data and study sequence. Data interpretation throughout the study is logical and scientifically sound. Comments are limited to the quality of individual images (Figures 11 and 12) and graphs (Figure 15).

Interpretation of Results: The results are interpreted correctly. The significance of the developed method is beyond doubt. The conclusions drawn from the study are scientifically sound and supported by expert examinations of actual road accidents.

Presentation Quality: The article is written in clear, technical language, and the data is presented clearly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies. Correcting these minor errors will improve the quality.

Consistency of Conclusions: The conclusions are fully consistent with the presented evidence and arguments. The overall scientific and practical benefits of this study are significant. This research contributes to the expansion, refinement, and future development of current knowledge. The authors address a real-world practical problem of the stability of ground wheeled vehicles, using modern tools for modeling and assessing the consequences of real-world road accidents.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper addresses a highly relevant engineering, but also societal, topic. Research of this type is undoubtedly important for the future development of heavy vehicles as well as for traffic safety.

The paper has a strong practical contribution in terms of applying existing methods and software to solve the problem under consideration. On the other hand, in a methodological sense, the contribution is rather limited, as the work makes only a small step forward compared to existing approaches.

I would not have many additional remarks for the authors, except to suggest that they include a critical reflection and compare their model with other existing models, clearly highlighting its limitations. I recommend that they address this not only in the conclusion but also in the abstract, so that readers are immediately aware of the potential challenges when applying the model.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have addressed most of the review comments constructively, with notable improvements in highlighting the paper’s novelty, correcting equation numbering, and comparing suspension stiffness models. The addition of specific error metrics in the abstract has also enhanced the credibility of the findings.

Before final acceptance, the authors are kindly requested to incorporate the following revisions:

1. Figure Quality and Clarity:

1.1 Axis labels, units, and scales are still missing in several figures. Please ensure all figures include a clear and consistent notation system.

1.2 Many images suffer from low resolution and must be replaced with higher-quality versions to enhance visual clarity.

2. Comparison with Rollover Indices:

While the authors appropriately note that rollover indices and critical velocity serve as complementary tools (Page 8), a more detailed discussion is needed. Please elaborate on the specific advantages of the proposed overturning velocity formula over established indices such as LTR—particularly regarding its applicability in real-time warning systems and accuracy in determining critical rollover conditions.

3. Language and Terminology:

A thorough proofreading is recommended to ensure consistency in terminology and correct minor errors (e.g., “overturing” should be revised to “overturning”).

Author Response

The answers are in the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have adequately addressed the suggestions. I recommend that the paper be accepted for publication.

Author Response

The answers are in the attached file.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx