What standardized evasive maneuver is also known as the elk test?

The standardized evasive maneuver also known as the elk test is the Moose test.

The test measures how well a vehicle can avoid a suddenly appearing obstacle. A driver enters a cone-marked course, swerves around the simulated hazard, then immediately steers back into the original lane. The maneuver is repeated at increasing speeds until the vehicle loses control, hits cones or spins.

Although the name suggests wildlife, the test does not require an actual moose or elk. It simulates situations such as avoiding a reversing car, a child or another obstacle. The animal nickname became internationally famous after a 1997 Swedish test in which a first-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class overturned at about 60 km/h.

The procedure is standardized by ISO 3888-2. A typical pass requires the vehicle to complete the course at 72 km/h on a dry surface, with belted occupants and specified luggage. It is different from a slalom or skidpad test: those tests examine other handling characteristics, while the Moose test focuses on a sudden, sharp lane-change sequence.