Side Impact /Pole Impact protection
I do not know what reaction in the US and Canada,but we have been pushing this to be included into the , UN's UNECE regulations.
Australia has led the way for the introduction of new side impact protection regulations, adopted by the United Nations.
A NEW United Nations regulation on pole side impact protection has been adopted after a five-year campaign by the Australian government, supported by two leading local automotive bodies.
Australia will be the first country to adopt the new regulation. Pole side impact crashes typically occur when a vehicle slides off the road and hits a pole or tree broadside.
The new Global Technical Regulation 14 was incorporated into the Australian Design Rules this week. It will come into force in Australia in November 2017 for light cars and a year later for light-commercial vehicles.
The new UN regulation was proposed and championed through the UN process by Australia’s department of infrastructure, with support and funding for research by two local bodies – the Australian Automobile Association, the peak body for the State motoring clubs, and the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash testing agency.
Both played significant roles in establishing the case for improved pole side impact protection. Specific data about pole side impact crashes is hard to find.
Every year more than 1000 people die on Australian roads while a further 30,000 are seriously injured.
A 2012 evaluation study by the Monash University Accident Research Centre showed that side impact crashes were responsible for 25 per cent of road crash injuries and 28 per cent of road crash fatalities.
The study showed that the fitting of combination side airbags, head and thorax, reduced the incidence of injury and death in side impact crashes by at least 51 per cent.
There are no studies into the effect of strengthening the crash structures in the sides of vehicles. “Australia should be proud of its international leadership to develop this global regulation which will improve occupant protection in side impact crashes such as hitting a tree at the side of the road,” said ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin.
He said the higher safety standard of the new rule would “go a long way” to helping save hundreds of lives.
“Some years ago it was identified that Australia had more vehicle run-offs from the road and vehicles hitting things on the side of the road,” Mr Goodwin said.
“So it was felt that let’s make sure there is a global design rule for this.”
Since the start of the campaign to have stronger side crash regulations adopted by the UN, it has been supported by ministers from both sides of politics: Anthony Albanese (Labor), Catherine King (Labor), Jamie Briggs (Liberal) and the current minister for major projects, territories and local government Paul Fletcher (Liberal).
“The UN ECE global technical regulation committees were taking advice on this issue,” Mr Goodwin said.
