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PD ISO TR 12349 — Road Vehicles Dummies for Restraint System Testing (ISO/TR 12349 Series)
Road Vehicles — Dummies for Restraint System Testing (ISO/TR 12349 Series, 2015 Edition)
🚗 PD ISO/TR 12349 is a BSI Published Document implementing ISO/TR 12349 in the UK, developed by Technical Committee AUE/7 (Automobile occupant restraint systems). The crash test dummy is the core measurement tool in automotive passive safety development and regulatory certification: internal sensors record acceleration, force, and deflection during impact, allowing the protective performance of restraint systems (seat belts, airbags, seats, etc.) to be evaluated. This batch covers two technical reports: Part 1 (Adult dummies) and Part 2 (Child dummies), which provide the recommended adult and child dummy models, applicable scenarios, and test method guidance for restraint system testing.
💡 A dummy is not a “human-shaped toy” but a precision measuring instrument: it simulates human mass distribution and response from a biomechanical perspective, and the sensor data from its head, neck, chest, and pelvis directly determine the calibration results of seat belts and airbags.
1. Series Background and Positioning 📌
With the growth of vehicle ownership and tightening safety regulations, crash testing has become a mandatory stage of new-vehicle development and type approval. Worldwide there are several dummy families: the Hybrid III series (adults) under the US FMVSS system, CRABI/CRS child dummies, dummies under the European ECE system, and side-impact dummies such as SID and EuroSID. Different dummies differ in geometry, mass distribution, and biomechanical response characteristics, and have clear divisions of applicable scenarios (frontal impact, side impact, child restraints, airbag deployment, etc.).
The value of ISO/TR 12349 is in providing authoritative recommendations on “which dummy to use in restraint system testing”: Part 1 targets adult dummies, Part 2 targets child dummies. As technical reports, they provide guidance for selecting test methods and are frequently cited by regulations or manufacturers’ internal specifications. The UK versions are published by BSI as Published Documents.
⚠️ Dummy selection must match the test type and regulatory requirements: frontal impact commonly uses the Hybrid III 50th percentile male dummy, while child restraint system testing requires the corresponding child dummy by child body size; misuse of a dummy can distort measurement data and invalidate evaluation.
2. Series File List 📋
The PD ISO/TR 12349 series technical report files covered in this batch are listed below.
| Standard Number | Part Subject | Year | Core Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| PD ISO/TR 12349-1:2015 | Adult dummies | 2015 (2nd ed.) | Adult anthropometric dummy family, recommended models, and restraint system testing applications |
| PD ISO/TR 12349-2:2015 | Child dummies | 2015 (2nd ed.) | Infant and child dummies, recommended models and requirements for frontal impact and airbag tests |
3. Adult Dummies (Part 1) 🔧
Part 1 covers the application of adult dummies in restraint system testing, mainly including:
- Adult anthropometric dummy family: explains the percentiles of common adult dummies (e.g. 5th percentile female, 50th percentile male, 95th percentile male), and their mass, dimensions, and purpose positioning.
- Recommended models and application scenarios: gives recommended dummy models and usage for typical test scenarios such as frontal impact and side impact.
- Dummy posture and seating positioning: explains positioning requirements in the seat before testing (e.g. H-point, torso angle), ensuring repeatability.
- Sensors and data acquisition: introduces dummy sensor configurations and data acquisition requirements as a basis for injury evaluation.
Consistency of dummy response directly affects test result reliability, so the standard emphasises regular calibration and maintenance of dummies, as well as comparisons between laboratories.
✅ Practical points: laboratories should maintain a dummy register and calibration schedule, regularly calibrating and replacing sensors, joints, and soft tissue per manufacturer specifications; using identical dummy state settings in interlaboratory comparisons significantly improves result consistency.
4. Child Dummies (Part 2) 👶
Child occupants have small bodies and incomplete development, with injury mechanisms different from adults, requiring purpose-designed child dummies. Part 2 includes:
- Recommended infant and child dummies: for child restraint system (CRS) evaluation, recommends applicable infant and child dummy models covering different age groups and body sizes.
- Frontal impact tests: describes child dummies and test conditions for frontal impact evaluation (e.g. Q-series and P-series child dummies).
- Airbag deployment (out-of-position) tests: describes child dummy requirements for airbag out-of-position (OOP) tests and side airbag tests, evaluating potential airbag injury to child occupants.
- Terminology and abbreviations: unifies terms and model abbreviations related to child dummies for cross-border communication.
The correct use of child dummies is the basis of child occupant safety evaluation; regulations (e.g. ECE R44, R129) and consumer ratings (e.g. NCAP) all rely on these dummies for frontal and side impact tests.
🚨 An airbag can be a “double-edged sword” for children: with improper child posture or seating position (e.g. rear-facing child seats in front, or children close to the airbag), airbag deployment can cause severe injury. Child restraint system evaluation must therefore include airbag OOP tests with the dummies recommended in Part 2.
5. Engineering Practice Applications 🛠️
- Full-vehicle crash development: OEMs conduct frontal and side impact tests with the dummy family, calibrating seat belts and airbags and optimising the restraint system.
- Child restraint system development: child seat manufacturers use the child dummies of Part 2 for CRS tests, meeting regulatory and NCAP evaluation requirements.
- Regulatory certification: testing bodies configure dummies per target-market regulations and perform type tests, issuing certification reports.
- Dummy maintenance and data consistency: establish a dummy calibration and maintenance system, ensuring comparability of test data over time and across laboratories.
A typical application flow: identify regulation/evaluation requirements → select the appropriate dummy model and position it per specification → arrange sensors and perform the crash or airbag test → collect and process data → evaluate the restraint system by injury criteria (HIC, chest acceleration, neck forces, etc.) → iterate and optimise the design.
6. Frequently Asked Questions ❓
❓ Q: Can a crash test dummy represent a real human body?
A: A dummy is a simplified human model designed from biomechanical research; it simulates human mass distribution and major injury responses well, but cannot fully reproduce all human tissues and individual variation. Test results are used for relative comparison and regulatory conformity.
A: A dummy is a simplified human model designed from biomechanical research; it simulates human mass distribution and major injury responses well, but cannot fully reproduce all human tissues and individual variation. Test results are used for relative comparison and regulatory conformity.
❓ Q: What is the difference between Parts 1 and 2?
A: Part 1 targets adult dummies (adults of different percentiles); Part 2 targets child dummies (infants, children, and different age groups). Body size, biomechanical characteristics, and applicable test scenarios differ.
A: Part 1 targets adult dummies (adults of different percentiles); Part 2 targets child dummies (infants, children, and different age groups). Body size, biomechanical characteristics, and applicable test scenarios differ.
❓ Q: Can different dummy models be used for the same test?
A: Not arbitrarily. Different models differ in mass, dimensions, and response; regulations and evaluation methods usually specify or restrict the dummy to be used, and replacement changes injury metrics and evaluation conclusions.
A: Not arbitrarily. Different models differ in mass, dimensions, and response; regulations and evaluation methods usually specify or restrict the dummy to be used, and replacement changes injury metrics and evaluation conclusions.
🔍 Q: Is ISO/TR 12349 mandatory?
A: No. It is a technical report providing dummy selection and test method guidance; specific dummy requirements and test procedures are set by the relevant regulations (e.g. FMVSS, ECE) or evaluation protocols.
A: No. It is a technical report providing dummy selection and test method guidance; specific dummy requirements and test procedures are set by the relevant regulations (e.g. FMVSS, ECE) or evaluation protocols.
📋 Q: What is the relationship between the UK editions and the ISO originals?
A: PD ISO/TR 12349-1:2015 and PD ISO/TR 12349-2:2015 are respectively the UK implementations of ISO/TR 12349-1:2015 and ISO/TR 12349-2:2015, technically identical in content, published by BSI for citation in the UK market.
A: PD ISO/TR 12349-1:2015 and PD ISO/TR 12349-2:2015 are respectively the UK implementations of ISO/TR 12349-1:2015 and ISO/TR 12349-2:2015, technically identical in content, published by BSI for citation in the UK market.