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.

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.