GRSP-79-25
Frontal Protection of Buses

This document reports on online meeting in April 2025 that discussed the Safe System approach, Vision Zero principle, cost-benefit considerations, seat belt use, impact energy, bus front deformation, and scope of Regulations No. 93 and No. 29. A Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority report examined 55 head-on collisions involving buses from 2012-2025, finding that full-frontal collisions often had survivable outcomes, while corner-to-corner collisions frequently resulted in fatal accidents. The investigation identified that current front protection is inadequate in low-overlap collisions. The task force will work on terms of reference and scope, invite more contracting parties, and organize an in-person meeting in Norway.

UNECE server
Excerpts from session reports
GRSP | Session 79 | 1-5 Jun

46. The expert from Norway reviewed the work done and next steps in the area of frontal protection of buses, including the results of an online meeting on 8 April 2026 (informal document GRSP-79-25). GRSP discussed the possibility of amending the scopes and provisions of UN Regulations Nos. 29 and 93 and of drafting a new UN Regulation. It also discussed whether it would be advisable to tackle the issue in the framework of the 1998 Agreement.