The ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment Program) have been conducting offset frontal crash tests into a deformable barrier since 1995. During this time the results of the ANCAP tests have shown significant improvements in occupant protection measured via reduction in dummy injury measurements, i.e. HIC, chest ‘g’, etc.

Occupant protection has improved with manufacturers designing structures to minimise the occupant space intrusion with the aim to have the crash energy absorbed by deformation of the frontal vehicle structure. Also new restraint technology has been included along with the vehicle structure designed to optimise the restraint technology.

This paper will review crash tests measurements to evaluate if changes in vehicle structures and restraint technology have changed the loads in either the occupant compartment or on the front seat belts.

ANCAP measure the ‘B’ pillar accelerations and also the front seat occupant seat belt loads. The maximum accelerations and time recorded for the right (driver) hand side ‘B’ pillar was used to represent the loads on the passenger compartment. The seat belt loads that are used in the paper are the maximum loads on both the sash and lap sections of the driver’s three point seat belts.

The analysis showed that while the dummy injury measurements have reduced there has not been a corresponding reduction in either ‘B’ pillar accelerations or seat belt loads.