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).

Mr Hogan advised that the second progress report of the PSI GTR informal group (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2012/59) had been adopted by AC.3 in June. This was significant because it provided formal agreement by AC.3 of the two phase approach to the development of the PSI GTR.

It was also noted that AC.3 had provided in principle agreement in June to the establishment of a repository for technical specifications and drawings for test tools used in GTRs (referred to as Special Resolution 2), although the document title was yet to be finalised.

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.