1. Welcome and Roll call (eCRS-49-07e)

CRS-49-07 | List of participants from the 49th CRS informal working group session

2. Adoption of the updated agenda (CRS-49-01e rev 1)

CRS-49-01 | Draft agenda for the 49th CRS informal working group session

CRS-49-01/Rev.1 | Revised agenda for the 49th CRS informal group session

3. Validation of the minutes of the last meeting (CRS-48-14e) with some modifications (CRS-48-14e Rev 1) where OICA objects to the limits as written (in paragraph 4.6 of the minutes) and objected on the integration of the ISOFIX connectors in the R16 drawing (in paragraph 5 of the minutes).

CRS-48-14 | Draft minutes of the 48th CRS informal working group session

CRS-48-14/Rev.1 | Revised minutes of the 48th CRS informal working group session

4. Report of the 5th session of GRSP (ECE-TRANS-WP29-GRSP-56e) from the Chairman :
The expert from France, Chair of the IWG on Enhanced Child Restraint Systems (ECRS), introduced:

• a presentation to show the main content of the draft 01 series of amendments incorporating provisions for booster seats (GRSP-56-28),
• the draft proposal (GRSP-56-08 superseding ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/2014/28)
• the consolidated version of the UN Regulation, incorporating the proposed amendments (GRSP-56-09).

The expert from OICA proposed to reduce the height of the measuring device, to evaluate a universal booster cushion, from 910 mm to 830 mm. He explained that this last value would be less restrictive for vehicle design. The expert from EC informed GRSP that a research test report on child abdominal injuries would be published soon. Accordingly, he raised a study reservation to consider the above-mentioned outcome of research and to complete the assessment of GRSP-56-08. GRSP agreed to resume discussion at its May 2015 session to consider and adopt, as a whole, draft 01 series of amendments and the parallel amendments to UN Regulation No. 16 (see para. 17). Finally, the secretariat was requested to distribute GRSP-56-08 with an official symbol at the next GRSP session.
The expert from France informed GRSP that, for the time being, the IWG does not have the resources to provide a corresponding Addendum to the M.R.1. to include drawings and specifications of the Q dummies, due to their number and complexity. He explained that the IWG likely would reallocate resources in the future to cover this issue. Finally, he asked for a one year extension of mandate of the IWG to develop Phase 3 of the UN Regulation (covering CRS using adult safety-belts to restrain children). The expert from Germany underlined that the initial purpose of the UN Regulation, to incorporate for better clarity all provisions concerning universal ISOFIX, had been compromised by covering a number of different CRS categories. Finally, GRSP agreed to seek the endorsement of WP.29 to extend the mandate of the IWG until December 2015.

GRSP considered and adopted GRSP-56-31-Rev.1, to prevent installation of y-shaped straps on forward facing CRS, as reproduced in Annex V of this report. The secretariat was requested to submit the proposal to WP.29 and AC.1, for consideration and vote at their March 2015 sessions, as draft Supplement 4 to the UN Regulation No. 129 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/43).

The experts from CLEPA and CI introduced respectively GRSP-56-24 and GRSP-56-27, as a draft brochure for a coordinated information campaign on UN Regulation No. 129. The expert from Germany announced that a similar initiative would be published soon in his country. GRSP agreed to resume discussion on this subject on the basis of a possible common text agreed by interested parties.

Chairman : Phase II cover up to 135cm for lateral impact. The issue concerning what to do from 135 cm up to 150 cm for booster cushions still remains. Lateral protection will not be mandatory over a stature of 135 cm, for universal R129 ECRS but still remains possible for specific to vehicle R129 ECRS.

European Commission: Peter BROERTJES informed the working group that the EC is not fully satisfied with the current content of phase 2. EC highlights the fact that the Q dummies are not able to predict correctly child abdomen injury due to submarining with booster seats.

The EC contracted TRL to conduct a study on that topic to potentially modify dummies, test setup or test conditions. This study should be terminated end of 2015. Even if such investigation has already been undertaken previously by other stakeholders without success, it will delay very probably the adoption of regulation 129 phase 2 at least by 6 months.
Philippe BEILLAS from IFSTTAR : inform the group that even if the Q dummies have difficulties to reproduce submarining, abdominal & chest deflection are not only link to submarining but also to localized loads induced by the restraint system itself.

Some clarifications to the original text have been brought concerning several aspects :

• Multi configurations, categories,… type approval
• Stature range for each category

• Modification from the document GRSP-56-09e (CRS-49-02e) is added for:
  Paragraph 3.2.2 : point (e) is added : Or any combination of (a), (b), ©, (d) as long as they fulfil paragraph 5.4.2.2
• Paragraph 6.1.3.3 : This paragraph is modified as below :
  For non integral Enhanced Child Restraint System approval shall not be granted for a stature below 100 cm.
  Non integral Enhanced Child Restraint System shall not accommodate a stature below 100 cm.
  Booster seats shall insure lateral protection of the child as described in paragraph 7.1.3.1.3 up to a stature of 135 cm.
  For booster cushion type approval shall not be granted for a stature below 125 cm.
  Above a stature of 125 cm , booster cushions shall position the child’s head according to the requirements of paragraph 6.3.2.2.2

OICA : Can we have specific booster cushions below 125 cm?
Chairman : No, it’s not a booster, it can be an Integral Enhanced child restraint system; not a booster.

• Paragraph 6.1.3.6 : This paragraph is modified as below :
  For the universal or specific vehicle boosters, the lap portion of the adult seat belt shall be positively guided to ensure that the loads transmitted by the adult lap belt are transmitted through the pelvis. In addition for a booster seat, the shoulder portion of the adult safety belt shall be positively guided to ensure that the child’s torso and neck do not escape.
• Paragraph 6.2.1.6. Remark from Farid BENDJELLAL (BRITAX). In the past we use some additional webbing in order to be positively guided but it’s not very good. Can we add something in the car ? Chairman : ECE R129 is dedicated to ECRS, and should not be link to the car definition except fixture compatibility in the case of universal ECRS.

The updated document is under CRS-49-03e

Reiner NETT (TAKATA) : can a universal booster exist claiming a stature greater than 135 cm ?
Pierre CASTAING (Chairman) : Yes, if one configuration of the booster seat configure at 135 cm can fit into the box. After that you can be outside of the box for taller child.
Remarks about the type approval, size range & model : The chairman sees no problem to have one type approval with two different size range if the ECRS complies with chapter 5.4.2.2 of the R129. There is one type approval for one model.

A list of items to be reviewed for phase II (CRS-49-05e) was drafted during the meeting by the group. A leader for each item was appointed.

• ISOFIX incentive for booster seats
  • Safety issue or benefit ? Leader CLEPA (Farid BENDJELLAL)
  • Vehicle compatibility for universality ? Leader OICA (Irina DAUSSE)
    • % of vehicle compatible
    • Or new gabarit
  • Regulations modifications R129, R16, R14, R95, R135 ? Leader Germany (Richard DAMM)
• Type approval process
  • Consistency of definitions between R129, R16 & R14 Leader CLEPA (Marianne HYND)
  • One homologation n° by product Leader CLEPA (Erik SALTERS)
  • Built-in definition Leader VTI (Tommy PETTERSSON)
  • Clarification on specific to vehicle ECRS Leader CLEPA (Reiner NETT)
• Q dummies issues Leader TRL (Jolyon CARROL)
  • Q10 Size
  • Abdominal criteria
  • Chest behaviour and deflection
  • Dummies behaviour
  • Submarining</li
  • Drawing
• Test procedure Leader TRL (Jolyon CARROL)
  • Severity
  • Test bench
• Amendment of the ECE R16 Leader EC (Peter BROERTJES)

Items to be review for phase III (CRS-49-05e) listed during the meeting by the group :

• R44 amendment or included in R129 ?
  • Pros
  • Cons
• Same philosophy as phase I
  • Stature driven ?</li<
  • Only integral vehicle belted products ?
  • Support leg and / or Top tether ?
  • ECRS envelop
• Universal seating position = idem R44 ?
• Nature of Safety belt

[Not discussed]

EPOCH demonstrated that the head vertical plane may need to be increased for Q10.
Tests comparisons between P10 & Q10 on the R44 & R129 bench performed by BRITAX & DOREL : Q10 with no CRS has 770 mm – 790 mm vertical head excursion (actual limit is at 840 mm).
R129 required head position for booster cushion to be in range 770 mm – 910mm in static test.
CRS that place head above 840 mm will fail dynamic requirements.
Propose making dynamic head vertical limit requirement consistent with head position requirement.
Proposal : Increase the AD limit to 910 mm from Cr and cancel the DE limit or take into account the head excursion only the loading phase, up to a time of x ms (max head forward displacement).

Question from OICA : All presented tests was performed with ISOFIX connection between the test bench and the booster, could you test without the use of ISOFIX connection ?
BRITAX/ DOREL will perform new test without ISOFIX anchors in use
Question form European Commission : are you sure that there is no influence on the dummy kinematics & results from the deceleration sled & acceleration sled ?
TAKATA (Reiner NETT) will do test in their acceleration sled to check if there is still a vertical displacement of the dummy in rebound phase with Q10 in booster seat.

CRS-49-06 | UN Regulation No. 129: Q10 head vertical excursion

Background on the child safety projects / reports for the European Commission. The objectives are to support the Commission during the further development of the R129, to expedite final discussions and drafting of the second phase & to support discussions on the third phase of proposals. The project is structured in 3 tasks:

• Task 1 : Further development of the performance criteria and test methods for non- integral child restraint systems
• Task 2 : On-going validation and assessment of other emerging issues identified by the Commission
• Task 3 : Q-Series dummy drawing package assessment

Request for data from stakeholders to help evaluated task 1, request drawing packages to enable task 3.

CRS-49-04 | In-depth assessment of proposed amendments to UN Regulation No. 129

Richard DAMM : We moved away from the objective 1; to make true universal CRS. We are now almost rewriting R44. We do see the improvements like Q dummies and new limits, but not the full potential that we had.
Question to the group; are we going to live with belt and ISOFIX systems, or can we focus more on ISOFIX systems. Richard clearly favours ISOFIX systems, and he would like to ideally see as many ISOFIX seats as technically possible.

Chairman answer : For phase I , we push ISOFIX mandatory for rearward facing up to 15 month, for integral in forward facing up to 105 cm at least. For booster seat, there is some issue with R16 about the number of ISOFIX in car, the safety belt interaction with ISOFIX anchors. We have to work on the current R16.
We also improved the lateral protection up to 135 cm for universal (plug and play) ECRS.

Richard DAMM: why new regulation and not modify R44 ?
Participants to IWG CRS bring some answers :
Pierre CASTAING (Chairman) : It’s not simple to change mass definition to size definition in the same regulation.
François RENAUDIN (DOREL) ; internal size dimension are also checked in addition to R44.
There are some tools for checking the compatibility of the child into the ECRS, and a tool for checking the compatibility of the ECRS into the car.
Philippe LESIRE (LAB); ease of use and reduction of misuse also for a booster seat
A gabarit up to 135 cm with backrest is added too.
There is new dummy with new sensors also the abdomen area.

Postponed until next meeting.

50th meeting will be held in March, the 18 & 19, PARIS, OICA (starting at 9.30)