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When a vehicle is travelling at speed around a curve, the occupants feel a sensation which appears to be pushing them to the outside of the curve. In the case of an aeroplane or motorcycle, tilting the vehicle as it goes around the curve helps to reduce or remove this sensation.

Railway trains are also tilted on high speed curves by placing one rail slightly higher than the other, a technique known as 'superelevation'. (A railway carriage recently developed for very high speeds also tilts the bodywork independently of the underframe)

In the case of tramcars, the height of each rail is usually determined by the road surface in which the track is laid and superelevation is not practical - the speed of trams along public roads is rarely sufficient to justify it anyway. Sharp corners are usually the subject of a strict speed limit, so again, superelevation is not practiced.

Only on reserved tram track can superelevation be considered, where speeds and curvature might justify it, but it is rarely found in practice.

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