Rear Occupant Protection JNCAP Test - Test Results and Findings -

Since its start in 1995, the Japanese New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP) has conducted full-wrap frontal collision tests (since 1995), side collision tests (since 1999) and offset frontal collision tests (since 2000), aiming for enhancing collision safety performance for drivers and front seat passengers. Safety performance of rear seat passengers had long been outside the scope of evaluation in JNCAP; however, as it became mandatory in 2008 for rear seat occupants to wear a seat belt, and the seat belt wearing rate has begun to improve, the safety assessment for rear seat occupants with seat belts has been increasing its significance. Under the above circumstances, JNCAP has amended the protocol of offset frontal crash test and introduced occupant protection methods for rear seat passengers in 2009. The authors adopted the Hybrid III AF05 (female dummy) in the rear seat instead of the AM50 (male dummy) in the front passenger seat, considering that women are more likely to become the rear seat occupant. And JNCAP developed its own rear seat dummy evaluation method referring to the FMVSS208 and the new US-NCAP. JNCAP has publicized this unique test result of 11 models so far. As this is a relatively new method, the authors have experienced some difficulties in evaluating the safety performance of rear seat occupants accurately. In this paper, they will provide the latest results and findings during their experience in the rear occupant protection JNCAP tests.