Overview
ISO/TS 13396:2021 - "Road vehicles - Sled test method to enable the evaluation of side impact protection of child restraint systems - Essential parameters" - defines a consolidated set of essential input parameters for developing and evaluating sled-based side impact test procedures for child restraint systems (CRS). The Technical Specification updates ISO/PAS 13396:2009 after a review of accident statistics, vehicle technologies and sled/full‑scale test experience. The recommended parameters are generally aligned with the side impact scenario used in UN Regulation No. 95 (a stationary vehicle impacted at right angles by a mobile deformable barrier at 50 km/h), which forms the historical basis for ISO work on CRS side impact testing.
Key topics
ISO/TS 13396:2021 focuses on parameters and considerations that control occupant kinematics and injury risk during side impacts. Major technical topics include:
- Body regions to be protected - prioritisation of head protection based on accident data showing head and face injuries as common outcomes.
- Occupant kinematics - movement and containment of a child occupant during side impact sled tests.
- Test characteristics / severity - measurable inputs such as:
- Intrusion velocity
- Intrusion depth
- Struck car acceleration range and struck car delta‑v
- Geometry requirements and intrusion surface properties
- Anchorages - considerations for CRS attachment and restraint points during sled testing.
- Validation and field of application - guidance on demonstrating that a sled test represents relevant real‑world conditions.
- Accident statistics review - synthesis of real‑world injury and crash severity data (e.g., GIDAS, RAIDS, CCIS) that inform parameter selection.
Applications
ISO/TS 13396:2021 is practical for:
- CRS manufacturers developing or validating side‑impact performance and containment systems.
- Vehicle OEMs assessing interaction between vehicle side structures and child restraints.
- Test laboratories implementing sled test protocols aligned with internationally recognised parameters.
- Regulators and type‑approval authorities who want a technical basis to evaluate or harmonize side impact test methods for child protection.
- Researchers and safety engineers studying child occupant kinematics and countermeasure effectiveness in side impacts.
Adoption of these essential parameters helps ensure sled tests are representative of the crash scenarios used in regulatory full‑scale tests (e.g., UN R95) while allowing regions to adapt inputs to local crash conditions.
Related standards
- UN Regulation No. 95 (lateral collision protection of vehicles) - full‑scale MDB test scenario cited in ISO/TS 13396.
- ISO/PAS 13396:2009 and ISO/TR 14646 - prior ISO work referenced and reviewed.
- UN Regulation No. 129 - CRS side impact method development has drawn on ISO parameter recommendations.
Keywords: ISO/TS 13396:2021, side impact, sled test, child restraint systems, essential parameters, intrusion velocity, intrusion depth, struck car delta‑v, UN Regulation No. 95.