No. H194/05For release October 11, 2005
OTTAWA - A new state-of-the-art crash test dummy representing a woman of
small stature and young adolescent will be available in Canada in spring 2006 to
help researchers improve vehicle safety for Canadians.
Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre today announced that the department will
purchase two of these crash test dummies for testing purposes.
"These highly sophisticated crash test dummies will help advance side impact
research in Canada and improve the comparison of crash test results worldwide,"
said Mr. Lapierre. "WorldSID 5th will also bring us one step closer to our goal
of making Canada's roads the safest in the world by 2010."
The crash test dummies, called WorldSID 5th, will be used to research how
side impact protection can be improved for women and young adolescents involved
in side impact collisions. Transport Canada has been using the male version of
the dummy, called WorldSID (World Side Impact Dummy), in the side impact
research program since June 2003. The introduction of WorldSID 5th will help
further the understanding of injury risks for drivers who sit closer to the
steering wheel than the average-sized man and young adolescent passengers.
WorldSID and WorldSID 5th were developed out of a need to have world
harmonized crash test dummies that would better simulate the motions of a human
in side impact crash testing. They were built with state-of-the-art technology,
such as advanced shoulder design and unique nickel-titanium rib cage design.
These features, together with advanced instrumentation, make it possible to
evaluate the effects of vehicle crush, side air bag designs, and interior door
trim profiles on driver protection. This information, in turn, will be used to
guide improvements in occupant safety.
Over 1,000 people are fatally injured and many more are seriously injured in
side impact collisions each year in Canada. The most frequently injured parts of
the body are the head and chest. It is estimated that over 270 lives can be
saved through the introduction of inflatable curtains and other head protection
technologies. State-of-the-art crash test dummies like WorldSID and WorldSID 5th
make it possible for researchers to conduct more thorough evaluations of
occupant protection systems and further improve the safety of Canadians.
The safety advances developed through collision tests involving the new crash
test dummies will contribute significantly to Transport Canada's Road Safety
Vision 2010, which aims to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries in Canada
by 30 per cent by 2010.
For more information on the Road Safety Vision 2010, please visit the
following website:
www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/vision/menu.htm
A backgrounder on the WorldSID, WorldSID 5th and Transport Canada's crash
testing program is attached.
- 30 -
Contacts:
Irène Marcheterre
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister, Ottawa
(613) 991-0700
Anne-Marie Bouchard
Communications
Transport Canada, Ottawa
(613) 993-0055
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.
Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date
on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with
visual disabilities.
BACKGROUNDER
WORLDSID, WORLDSID 5th AND
TRANSPORT CANADA'S CRASH TEST PROGRAM
WorldSID 5th is a scaled-down version of WorldSID, a side impact
crash test dummy designed by scientists and engineers from Canada and around the
world. WorldSID was developed under the direction of the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) WorldSID Task Group. WorldSID 5th
represents a woman of small stature and a young adolescent and was developed
through the European Integrated Project on Advanced Protection Systems project (APROSYS)
in consultation with the WorldSID Task Group. Both versions of the dummy will
provide the foundation for future common and internationally accepted regulatory
test procedures and enable automakers and researchers to improve passenger
safety by facilitating the comparison of crash test results worldwide.
The crash test dummy can be equipped with as many as 214 sensors
placed strategically throughout the body to detect areas that could be impacted
during a collision. State-of-the-art technology such as an advanced shoulder
design and a nickel-titanium rib cage make it possible to evaluate the effects
of vehicle crush, side air bag designs and interior door trim profiles on driver
protection and in turn, guide improvements in occupant safety.
Transport Canada conducts crash tests to evaluate the protection
offered to male, female and young passengers exposed to various crashes,
including car-to-car, SUV-to-car and car-to-pole collisions. Accident data
obtained from North America and several other jurisdictions indicate that women
are more often involved in car-to-car crashes, while men tend to experience more
car-to-pole collisions. In 1998, a test program was initiated to examine the
risk of injury to women and young adolescent passengers involved in car-to-car
and SUV-to-car side impact crashes by using a crash test dummy that is
representative in size to a small female. The program highlighted the importance
of including differently sized dummies when evaluating crash protection.
The improved measurement capabilities and humanlike motion of
WorldSID have made it possible for Transport Canada to conduct advanced
evaluations of the protection available to men involved in side impact crashes.
The arrival of WorldSID 5th will make it possible for Transport Canada to
conduct equally sophisticated studies for the protection of women and young
adolescents.
WorldSID and WorldSID 5th were developed through the
collaboration of scientists and engineers from the automotive industry,
governments and research agencies. In sharing crash test data with the industry,
Transport Canada contributed both to the development of the new dummies and to
improvements in side impact protection.
WorldSID and WorldSID 5th are examples of the innovative
approach embraced by Transport Canada to foster a collaborative relationship
with industry. Transport Canada participates in several international working
groups and industry-sponsored task groups geared towards developing harmonized
standards or improving measurement methods. The exchange of research that takes
place between Transport Canada and the industry at the working group level keeps
Canada at the leading edge of rapidly changing safety technologies and
encourages the timely implementation of corrective measures well in advance of
regulatory action.
October 2005
