Guide To: UNECE R127 - Pedestrian Safety

Guide To: UNECE R127 - Pedestrian Safety

UN ECE Regulation No. 127 sets out uniform provisions for the approval of motor vehicles with regard to their pedestrian safety performance. The primary goal of this regulation is to enhance the safety of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, by minimizing the severity of injuries in the event of a collision with a vehicle.

Scope of the Regulation

UN ECE R127 applies to:

• Motor vehicles in categories M1 (passenger vehicles) and N1 (light commercial vehicles). However, certain vehicles are exempted from the requirements, such as those with specific configurations or weight classifications.

Key Features of UN ECE R127

1. Pedestrian Impact Areas:

   • The regulation defines specific impact areas on a vehicle that are relevant to pedestrian safety. These include:
     • Bonnet top and leading edge: Critical areas where the heads of adult and child pedestrians are most likely to impact in an accident.
     • Bumper and lower legform impact areas: These focus on minimizing the impact forces on pedestrians' legs.

2. Testing and Performance Requirements:

   • Vehicles are tested using headform impactors and legform impactors designed to simulate collisions with pedestrians. These tests measure the forces and accelerations generated during impact to assess the potential for injury.
   • For child and adult headform tests, the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) is used to assess the severity of head injuries. The regulation limits the HIC value to 1,000 for the majority of the bonnet test area, with a higher threshold of 1,700 in some cases.

3. Legform to Bumper Tests:

   • The legform tests focus on the interaction between the pedestrian's lower limbs and the vehicle’s bumper. The goal is to minimize knee and leg injuries. The regulation sets specific limits on ligament elongation and tibia bending moments to ensure that vehicles comply with safety standards.

4. Bonnet Leading Edge and Bumper Performance:

   • The performance of the bonnet leading edge and bumper during an impact is crucial. The regulation mandates that these areas are designed to mitigate injury by reducing the forces experienced by pedestrians upon collision.

5. Conformity of Production:

   • Manufacturers are required to ensure ongoing compliance with the regulation through conformity of production checks. These checks guarantee that vehicles continue to meet the pedestrian safety requirements throughout their production lifecycle.

Conclusion

UN ECE R127 is a critical regulation aimed at improving pedestrian safety in the event of a vehicle collision. By setting stringent testing and performance requirements for key vehicle components, such as the bonnet and bumper, this regulation helps reduce the risk of severe injuries to vulnerable road users. Vehicle manufacturers must comply with these standards to ensure their vehicles provide adequate protection for pedestrians.