In recent years there has been a strong shift away from traditional sedans to multipurpose vehicles, such as vans and minivans. This trend is centered in North America, but has also become conspicuous in Japan and Europe.

Considering the current situation, including the issue mentioned above, a review of the test procedures in the current regulations has become a matter of some urgency. Based on a common awareness in Japan, Europe, and America, the IHRA is actively promoting research on side impact test procedures. Research is also moving forward on important issues including types of crash dummies and their positions in the vehicle. In order to take an active part in the research promoted by the IHRA, Japan is also conducting investigations into these issues. Japanese studies have included surveys of specifications for vehicles on the market in recent years, investigations of the front-end stiffness of these vehicles, analyses of traffic accidents, and other studies, especially analyses of collision effects that lead to injuries. To do this, full-scale side impact tests have been conducted under various conditions, and factors affecting the vehicle deformation and dummy responses have been examined. These results were reported in part at the 17th ESV Conference held in Amsterdam 2001.

This report describes full-scale side impact tests in which a multipurpose vehicle, which has a different front shape and stiffness than conventional sedantype cars, is the striking vehicle. The amount of deformation of the vehicle body and dummy responses were compared and adjusted in terms of results with the present test procedures. Tests were also conducted with rear seat dummies (SID-IIs), and suggestions for the test conditions in future side impact test procedures are made from a wide range of viewpoints.