5.d. On Candidate Seat Performance / Injury Criteria for Regulatory Purposes
BL showed a summary of experience from Euro NCAP tests from the last years (WCWID-2-04). Most of the European (standard) seats have no problems with the proposed criteria. Out of 152 models tested between 2011 and 2014, only 4 vehicles had a whiplash pulse score capped (mainly due to rebound velocity). No capping was applied for one of the candidate injury criteria NIC and Upper Neck Fx. The other candidate criteria like My are measured but not assessed.

However, it should be noted that only the seats of the best selling version are tested at Euro NCAP. In general, no special sports seats or high sophisticated luxury seats are tested within the Euro NCAP programme.

Euro NCAP whiplash tests are currently performed in 7 European labs which received “Euro NCAP accreditation”. Different BioRIDs are used which are certified according to the “old” procedure.

Based on the data and by a comparison of the different proposals BL recommends the following limits for further discussion within the GTR 7 group:

• NIC 23
• Upper and Lower Neck Fx 360 N
• Upper and Lower Neck My 30 Nm.

BL said that a status was reached where the group could also define something as “good practice” or based on the experience of JNCAP and Euro NCAP (may be IIWPG) set limits for some criteria to set a minimum standard and to sort out very cheap and bad seats (which could have a good geometry).