A Comprehensive Overview of the Pedestrian Protection Requirements and Test Methodology

Pedestrian safety and countermeasure design are a growing concern amongst the safety testing community, vehicle manufacturers, and government legislators. There are a number of work groups and recommended procedures under review. Universally, each of the proposed methodologies consists of a three part series to evaluate the following: lower leg to bumper, the upper leg to the bumper or bonnet leading edge, and the head to the bonnet or windscreen. The specific requirements relating to the injury criteria for each of these test phases have been the subject of much discussion and have underwent several revisions among a variety of worldwide publications. However, laboratory demonstrations will conclude that general test practices with attention to several critical steps can satisfy each of the proposed methods. This document will discuss the current pedestrian protection testing requirements, methodology, and associated equipment; as well as provide insight into some of the more challenging aspects of the test execution.