Informal Group on Frontal Impact

DRAFT meeting minutes of the 18th meeting

OICA office

4 RUE DE BERRI

75008 PARIS

Wednesday, 30th January 2013

1.1. Welcome

1.2. Roll call

Attendance: see attending list FI-18-2e

1.3. Adoption of the agenda FI-18-1e

Agenda was adopted without changes.

1.4. Adoption of the Minutes of our last Meeting FI-17-10e-R1

The minutes are adopted with one corrections.

- §3.4: change FWRD to FWDB.

STATUS OF THE GROUP

2.1. Status of Expert Group to validate the use of thorax injury prediction tools / DEQ update

X.Trosseille informs the group that a first webex meeting was held in W48/12. An evaluation matrix has been developed to assess the pros and cons of different thorax injury criteria/measures.

Feedback was requested by experts, but only NHTSA (Steven Ridella) has given feedback by now. Further feedback is expected from OICA, Germany and Japan. Another webex will be scheduled for mid/end of February 2013.

Mr. Ammerlaan remarked that a reasonable balancing between local belt loading and distributed airbag loading is necessary. Focusing too much on the frontal impact situation the group has to consider, that the belt has the duty to keep the occupants in place (e.g. in over role accidents) and therefore a certain minimum belt load should be considered.

Mr. Faure remarked that a similar argument was already raised from Thomas Herpich (TRW) during the NCAP frontal impact group meetings and that it will be considered.

FI-18-3e

Mrs. Sunnevang gave a presentation on simulations made by Autoliv to evaluate the DEQ criteria for a variation of load limiter and airbag systems and crash pulses.

2.2. Status of Expert Group to conduct an impact assessment

The Impact assessment Group will start, based on the most recent test configuration matrix, suggested by IWG R94. A first meeting will be scheduled for February 2013. A first draft is supposed to be available in Mai 2013. The final document is supposed to be available in the end of 2013 (12/2013).

People involved: Claus Pastor (BAST, Germany) as leader of this group, Jim Hand (UK),Cyril Chauvel (FR) and Jörg Rossow (OICA).

FRONTAL IMPACT

3.1. Euro NCAP Frontal Impact Status report

Report given by Pierre Castaing:

The last meeting was held early W47/12. For the time being, EuroNCAP plans to start its validation program in January 2013. The common decision for EuroNCAP (if no change due to the work in the IG FI) is to use the rigid barrier and a 5th in front driver and in rear passenger positions. During this validation program, all dummy readings and shoulder belt force will be measured. The goal is to check if DEQ is something that could bring a better knowledge of the risk of injury.

Full Width Barrier (FWRB or FWDB): the board will confirm its position in the January meeting, depending on the work in the IG FI.

Final protocol of the group will be made in June 2013 so that the evaluation can be conducted on a full year 2014.

3.2. Test configuration matrix FI-18-04e

The members of the group have been asked about their preference as regards using a FWRB test or a FWDB test. There was consens about using a FWRB test. Some members pointed out, that this shall be seen as a phase 1 approach and that the FWRB test shall not be the final test tool.

The members of the group have been asked about their preference as regards dummy selection and dummy seating position in the car to be tested. Germany, UK and the Netherlands pointed out that they want to have a 5th percentile dummy being used in the Full Width Test. France keeps its position of using two 50th percentile dummies. OICA repeated their concerns about using the 5th percentile H3 for regulation.

It was decided that the Impact Assessment group shall consider the variants

a)FWRB - 5th perc. Driver - 50th perc. Frontal Occupant,

b)FWRB - 50th perc. Driver - 5th perc. Frontal Occupant,

c)FWRB - 50th perc. Driver - 50th perc. Frontal Occupant

and shall give evidence on the most cost effective variant.

Mr. Damm pointed out that Germany is in favor of including geometric alignment requirements in the impact assessment. Germany will make a proposition on that behalf in the next meeting of the IWG R94.

3.3. Validation of assessment, criteria and limits

The group discussed about injury criteria and limits which shall be used within the test matrix. Concerns about using neck injury criteria for the H3 have been discussed. Use and possible limits of those criteria need to be checked. In order to get benefits for the elderly population, chest deflection criteria limits shall be reduced from currently 50mm. It was not decided whether limits shall be reduced for the FWRB test or the ODB test. It was also under discussion to which amount the limit can be reduced.

This topic shall be discussed again in the next meeting and the parties are asked to provide input.

3.4. Proposition of ECE R94 text amendment.

Mr. Damm made the suggestion to replace the old wording of the Fuel leakage requirement in the amended R94 by taking over the new formulation on Fuel leakage from the Pole/Side Impact GTR.

Biomechanics

4.1. DEQ update

Covered within Top 2.1.

Next Meetings

27th February 2013, Bruxelles, European Commission 45 rue d’Auderghem

9th April 2013, Paris, OICA