Workshop on frontal impact scheduled for Tokyo, Japan, 4-6 November 2026 will assess robustness, defined as the vehicle’s ability to protect occupants across variations in body height, weight, shape, and seating position in real-world collisions by maintaining structural integrity and effective safety systems. The workshop will explore conceptual ideas for procedures to assess robustness by complementing current specific requirements based on ATDs using a more holistic approach. Sessions will address issues requiring solution and regulatory solutions, including review of relevant regulations, clarification of roles of ATDs and HBMs, and conceptual ideas of future regulatory upgrades addressing brain injury, soft tissue neck injury, lower leg injury, thorax injury, submarining, abdominal loading injury, and lower severity collisions.

The EqOP-TF4 held its 5th meeting on June 25, 2026, with 41 participants. The agenda was adopted with one item removed, and previous minutes were approved. The chair presented an updated priority table assessing injury relevance, regulatory gaps, test capabilities, and potential safety benefits for prioritizing future frontal impact safety requirements. Japan will report on submarining and female injury patterns. A workshop is scheduled for November 4–6, 2026, in Japan. The next meeting is September 7, 2026.

Proposed prioritization framework for future frontal impact safety enhancements. A holistic assessment tool to evaluate candidate topics, identify regulatory gaps, and define priorities for future frontal impact requirements. Draft table template includes topics such as soft tissue neck, chest, abdomen, foot and ankle, hand and arm, submarining, rear seat row, driver seat, front passenger seat, low speed, robustness, multi-scenario testing, and virtual testing with human body model. The framework considers equity issues, relevance, current UN Regulations, available test and criteria, and identifies volunteers to prepare topics.

The agenda includes a progress-dashboard review, an updated study presentation on rear row and abdominal injuries, and preparation for a Japan Workshop in Tokyo in November 2026, covering priority table alignment, robustness definition and alignment, workshop agenda, pre-workshop preparation, and practical arrangements.

The Equitable Occupant Protection Task Force 4 met to discuss frontal impact and restraints requirements. An initial prioritization table was tabled in November 2025 and discussed in January 2026, with experts indicating low, medium, or high priority for topics including submarining, abdominal injuries, crash speeds, and seat positions. A proposed updated prioritization table was presented to consider the whole picture when defining future requirements. Current frontal crash performance requirements are mainly defined in UN R94 and UN R137, with specific seatbelt requirements in UN R14 and UN R16. An in-person workshop is scheduled for Tokyo, November 4–6, 2026, to assess robustness and close equity issues. The next meeting is September 7, 2026.

The draft agenda for the 5th meeting of Task Force 4 Frontal Impact & Restraint System Requirements is scheduled for June 25, 2026, online from 12.00 to 14.00 CET. The meeting will cover approval of the agenda and previous minutes, review of the progress dashboard, presentations of updated studies on abdominal injuries and rear row, continued discussion on priorities, a workshop in Japan, conclusions, next steps, the next meeting, and any other business.

The EqOP-TF4 held its 4th meeting on 14 April 2026 with 28 participants. BASt presented an updated GIDAS analysis of abdominal injuries in belted occupants with single major impacts. The Swedish Transport Agency presented an updated study on occupant abdominal trauma including pelvic fractures and injury severity by age and seatbelt effects. OICA presented French collision data from 2012 to 2024 showing rear seats are significantly less utilized and the front row represents 96% of fatalities and most serious injuries in M₁ passenger cars. The Chair and secretary will compile input on priorities. The next meeting is scheduled for 25 June 2026, with an in-person workshop planned for 4–6 November 2026 in Japan.

From 2006 to 2025, Swedish emergency hospitals treated 170,995 injured drivers and passengers in passenger cars (52% men, 48% women). Pelvic fractures occurred in 1,198 individuals (0.7%), with 78% having one fracture and 22% having multiple fractures. The proportion of pelvic fractures increased with age and when seat belts were not used. Drivers comprised 71% of injured, front passengers 14%, and rear passengers 8%.

This accidentology study analyzed French national accident data from 2015–2024 for M₁ vehicles involved in frontal collisions. Overall occupancy rate was 1.4 persons per vehicle, with rear rows accounting for 11% of occupants. Rear right seats were most occupied (46%), followed by rear left (40%) and rear centre (12%). Fatalities occurred in 96% of front row occupants versus 4% in rear rows. Rear row occupants showed consistently lower severity outcomes across all injury categories compared to front row occupants, with no significant differences observed before or after 2020.

GIDAS data analysis examined abdominal injuries in car crashes from 2005–2025. Case selection included passenger cars registered 2005–2025, occupants over 11 years old, belted, with at least AIS 1 in AIS15REG5. The study analyzed 234 cars with 248 occupants sustaining abdominal injuries. Frontal impacts accounted for 71%, rear impacts 12%, left side impacts 10%, and right side impacts 8% of cases. Analysis examined injury distribution across AIS levels, gender, age, height, weight, delta V, seating position, and specific abdominal injuries.

Two presentations were delivered to the task force: one on abdominal injury assessment using human body models in frontal sled simulations, examining seatbelt trauma and submarining effects; and another proposing a real-world frontal crash assessment matrix based on field data, advocating for morphed human body models to represent diverse occupant sizes and ages. Continued discussion on priorities and workshop planning were postponed to the next meeting on April 14, 2026.

The agenda of the 4th meeting of Task Force 4 Frontal Impact & Restraint System Requirements includes a review of the progress dashboard, presentations of updated studies on abdominal injuries and rear row, continued discussion on priorities, and planning for a workshop in Japan.

The EqOP Task Force 4 held its first meeting with 28 participants to discuss frontal impact and restraint system requirements. Key priorities include addressing submarining and abdominal injury risks across diverse body types and crash scenarios. The group discussed robust evaluation procedures, seat position variability, and multi-scenario testing. Participants agreed to conduct further accident analysis, collect robustness evaluation ideas, and establish topic priorities before the next meeting on January 28, 2026.