Influence of a passenger dummy on consumer rating in offset frontal NCAP crash testing

The offset frontal crash test used by both Australian NCAP (ANCAP) and EuroNCAP has both a front seat passenger and driver dummy while the offset frontal crash test used by the IIHS has only a driver dummy. Additionally Japan NCAP will also include the offset frontal test into their program.

All of these consumer crash test programs use the same basic test protocols for the offset frontal test based on the EEVC test which has been included as ECE R94/01, but at the higher test speed of 64 km/hr. However, one major difference between the ANCAP/EuroNCAP programs and the IIHS program is the use of a front seat passenger dummy.

This paper reviews influence of the passenger dummy on the NCAP ratings given to cars that have been part of both the ANCAP and EuroNCAP programs. This was done through an evaluation of the passenger dummy results from the ANCAP tests and the EuroNCAP tests and how these results were used in the evaluation process.