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Passive Safety Must not be Watered Down in Future EU Pedestrian Safety Regulations

Pedestrian impacts with motor vehicles in urban environments are

impossible to avoid completely, so it is vital that a focus is maintained on reducing the severity of injuries when this occurs says, energy absorbing FPS specialist, Concept Mouldings.

The UK motor industry and its suppliers are currently being consulted on the next phase of European pedestrian safety regulations and the suggestion being put forward is that vehicle manufacturers may be able to avoid the stricter vehicle design requirements previously proposed as a result of implementing “brake assist” and other electronic “accident avoidance systems.”

For full details of Concept Mouldings response to the consultation follow the attached link

Concept Mouldings which has created a unique range of energy absorbing FPS’s for vans and 4 x 4 has proved that passive safety targets can be met for even for non compliant vehicles. Testing carried out by independent testing house MIRA, has also shown that widespread adoption of energy absorbing surfaces on vehicles would save many lives and reduce the severity of injuries.

Managing Director Ian Finney said: “The focus on vehicle design and suitable accessories remains of the utmost importance and our testing work has already demonstrated considerable improvements. If we are to significantly reduce the carnage on the world’s roads we must apply the same focus to pedestrians that we have on occupant safety. The best solutions will logically combine “passive” and “active” safety systems, avoiding collisions where we can and minimising damage when this does unfortunately occur.”

Concept Mouldings has focussed attention on the performance of vehicles in the four areas of bodily impact and the likely result in relation to injuries and fatalities. Head impacts account for 80% of fatalities, abdomen/pelvic (19 per cent of serious and fatal injuries) and leg (1 per cent of serious and fatal injuries). Testing using the Endura FPS fitted to many types of 4 X 4s, Pick Up’s and Light Commercial Vans showed that the likelihood of a pedestrian being killed in a front impact was reduced from 98% to less than 2%. All the company’s work has been conducted in line with the tests and legislative roadmap outlined by the 2003/102/EC Pedestrian Protection Directive phases 1 and 2.

The consultation also emphasised that the sale of illegal “Bull Bars” should cease as they are subject to a range of existing laws. Such products are also subject to both common law manslaughter and new corporate manslaughter rules. The DfT’s justification report 2006 No.2049

(

http://www.endura-fps.com/news.php?id=29 .http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/em2006/uksiem_20062409_en.pdf) states that metal bull bars were responsible for an extra 3 fatal and 40 serious injuries per annum upon the UK roads.

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