Working Party on Passive Safety | Session 72 | 5-9 Dec 2022
Geneva

The 72nd GRSG session is scheduled to be held in Geneva from 5 December (2.30 p.m.) to 9 December (12.30 p.m.) 2022. The deadline for the submission of official documents to the secretariat is 12 September 2022, twelve weeks prior to the session.

Agenda Item 6.
UN Regulation No. 17 (Strength of seats)

20. The expert from Germany introduced ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2022/20 to ensure that only safe head restraints would be fitted to seats of any seating position in all vehicle categories that were in the scope. He introduced ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2022/21 that covers the same provisions of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2022/20 in a new series of amendments, and also extends the test performance of paragraph 5.7.4 (height retention of head restraints) to non-adjustable head restraint with only one position of use. The expert from CLEPA argued that the proposed deletion of the reference to UN Regulation No. 25 in both proposals would introduce unclarity when head restraint would be type approved as separate technical units. The expert from Germany stated that UN Regulation No. 25 was not updated to the technical progress. He added that the aftermarket was regulated by national law while the type approval of vehicles should be regulated by UN Regulation No. 17.

21. Finally, GRSP agreed to resume discussion on ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2022/20 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2022/21 at its May 2023 session. Moreover, GRSP agreed as a general principle that: “Not only head restraints on seats, mandatory to be fitted with head restraints according to paragraphs 5.4.1. and 5.4.2. of UN Regulation No. 17, have to be approved. All head restraints fitted on seats under the scope of UN Regulation No. 17 shall be approved.” GRSP agreed that a group of interested experts would cooperate on a solution, led by the expert from Germany.

Documentation
GRSP/2022/20 UN R17: Proposal for Supplement 1 to the 10 series of amendments (Germany)
GRSP/2022/21 UN R17: Proposal for an 11 series of amendments (Germany)