106. The representative of Australia, chairing the informal group on PSI, informed AC.3 about the outcome of the third meeting of the group held in Washington D.C. on 9 June 2011. He stated that the group had considered a large amount of background material and research and worked on the safety need case. He added that Australia and Canada were currently conducting a joint crash program testing matched pairs of vehicles in oblique and perpendicular tests. He reported that Australia was also conducting a major research project through the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) including consideration of the effectiveness of airbags. He invited the representatives of WP.29 to provide access to their in-depth crash investigation data. He announced that the Republic of Korea was considering hosting the next meeting of the informal group, to be held in October 2011. AC.3 adopted the terms of reference of the informal group including its first progress report (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2011/87).

11. GRSP noted the decision of AC.3 at its March 2011 session (see ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1089, para. 109) to transmit ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2011/87 (terms of references and first progress report of the informal group) to GRSP for information and comments. The expert from Australia informed GRSP about the outcome of the last meeting of the group held in Brussels (3-4 March 2011). He clarified that the group was still collecting data to address a candidate test procedure and that a second progress report would be probably available after the June 2011 meeting of the informal group (see para. 6). GRSP agreed to resume discussion on this subject at its December 2011 session on the basis of new information provided by the informal group.

125. The representative of Australia, chairing the informal working group on PSI, presented the second progress report of the group (WP.29-156-29).

126. He clarified that this report sought a change in the terms of reference of the informal working group to allow for a second phase of work on the world side impact dummy (WorldSID) 5th percentile female. He reported that this change was endorsed by GRSP at its December 2011 session. He stated that the informal working group had not met since he reported on its activities at the November 2011 session of AC.3. However, he announced that the fifth meeting of the informal working group would be held on 22-23 March in London (see para. 113), focusing on a revised draft UN GTR in detail, with the aim of submitting an initial draft to the May 2012 session of GRSP. He added that several presentations would be made during the meeting, including further crash tests undertaken
by a number of countries. He specified that the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) would give a presentation of its research, including on injury types, effectiveness of different airbag combinations and the benefits of a regulation. He clarified that, while pole side impacts were not as common as other crashes, they were frequently lethal. He said that MUARC’s work also revealed that injuries in pole side impacts involved very high societal costs frequently involving serious head injuries. He reported that a final first phase UN GTR would be presented to WP.29 and AC.3 for consideration and vote at their June 2013 sessions. He concluded that the sixth meeting of the informal working group was scheduled in the week before the June 2012 session of WP.29 in Munich.

127. The representative of The United States of America supported the revised terms of references for a two stage approach for developing the UN GTR to address the widest range of vehicle occupants.

128. AC.3 endorsed, in principle, the revised terms of references of the informal working group (see para. 32) and requested the secretariat to distribute WP.29-156-29 with an official symbol.

90. The representative of Australia, chairing the informal group on PSI, informed AC.3 that since his last update at the March 2012 session of AC.3, the informal working group had held its fifth and sixth meetings in London in late March and in Munich in the previous week. He informed AC.3 that a draft UN GTR had been presented to the May 2012 session of GRSP. He underlined the excellent recent progress on the draft UN GTR and the constructive approach adopted by all members of the informal working group. In particular he acknowledged Canada’s contribution to a large scale crash test programme undertaken with Australia. He stated that the work undertaken by the Monash University Accident Research Centre indicated that the UN GTR would produce major safety gains, due in part to the high proportion of head injuries in both pole side impacts and car-to-car crashes, and the high cost of serious head injuries. Insurance data indicated that the cost of head injuries could exceed notional cost of life as well imposing major societal burdens. He added that the UN GTR would have major benefits in many countries. He informed AC.3 that the major remaining issues were:

• (i) appropriate injury thresholds,
• (ii) material issues impacting WorldSID and
• (iii) appropriate citation of the ISO seating procedure.

He informed AC.3 that the next meeting of the informal group would likely be held in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the next WorldSID meeting, in September or October 2012. He finally indicated that these meetings should set a definitive timetable for submission of final draft proposals on the WorldSID and Pole Side Impact UN GTRs to GRSP and AC.3.

91. The representative of OICA emphasized the importance of availability of WorldSID for the adoption of the UN GTR on Pole Side Impact, with which the Australian representative strongly concurred.

92. AC.3 adopted the second progress report of the informal working group (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2012/59).

102. The representative of the United States of America, on behalf of the Chair of the informal working group on PSI, informed AC.3 about the work progress of the eighth meeting of the informal working group (Paris, 20-21 November 2012) held in conjunction with a meeting of the group on the harmonization of side impact dummies. She added that, as an outcome of this meeting, the third progress report of the informal working group and a draft UN GTR were submitted (GRSP-52-07) to the December 2012 session of GRSP. Moreover, she clarified that the informal working group met virtually through WebEx on 7 February 2013 to consider comments and some additions to the text. Finally, she stated that the draft UN GTR (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2013/7) would be considered at the May 2013 session of GRSP. She added that the draft UN GTR could be recommended to AC.3 for consideration and vote at its November 2013 session. She concluded that comments and questions, if any, should be addressed to the Chair of the informal working group on PSI.