Analysis of the test criteria for vehicle containment systems in the Standard EN 1317 regarding the number of vehicles in use

Abstract

Abstract In 1999, the harmonized standards EN 1317 relating to vehicle restraint systems came into force in Europe, in order to establish specific requirements based on safety features. For this reason, these systems have to overcome successfully the full-scale crash tests defined in these standards. However, some defined criteria are not in correspondence with the reality of Spanish roads. Almost a decade ago, in the United States, the evaluation criteria for crash tests were updated based on the new characteristics of the vehicles that circulated on their roads. Considering the registrations and fleet of light vehicles in Spain, a statistical analysis of the evolution that both parameters have undergone over the years is carried out in this paper. The outcome of this study shows, in a clear way, the change produced in the market in relation to the type of light vehicles that currently circulate in Spain.