Thatcham

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Thatcham Low Speed Damageability
Real World Damageability study
RCAR Angle Barrier Test
Bumper Barrier Test
Matthew Avery
Crash Research Manager
Thatcham
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UK Motor Insurance Costs UK Insurer Costs
70 Material Damage
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UK Motor Insurance Costs UK Insurer Costs
70 Material Damage
6 Security
24 Personal Injury
8 Billion
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Low Speed Damageability
Problems with current the current Damageability
Tests

• Current Damageability test NOT representative
  of real world damage

• Current Damageability Tests do not simulate nor
  control underide or overide the most common
  form of car interaction during a crash

• Vehicle Manufacturers sub-optimise to current
  test and do not attempt to limit repair costs

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Low Speed Damageability
2001 Peugeot 307 after RCAR 15 Km/h frontal crash
test into rigid offset barrier
(1114)
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Rear World Damageability
2000 Ford Focus involved in a crash with
underide
(2225)
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1998 Honda Accord after IIHS 5 mph (8.5 km/h)
frontal crash test into rigid barrier
Low Speed Damageability
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Front underride with initial engagement
Real World Damageability
Front underride
2001 Honda Accord struck rear of Suzuki Swift
(2,943)
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Low Speed Damageability
Real World Damageability Study

• Study of 2500 Real World Impacts
• 3 Select Bodyshops in Midlands
• Differing Fleet and customer demographics
• 5 Insurers Involved

• Study to Investigate
• Typical vehicle damage profiles
• Average damage cost
• Average parts and labour costs

Thatcham
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Real World Damageability
Overview of crash modes
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Real World Damageability
Claims cost single and multi-vehicle impact
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Real World Damageability
Crash Partners
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Real World Damageability
Characteristics of front car to car crashes
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Low Speed Damageability
Interim Summary

• 35 of front crashes involved under or overide

• 48 of all crashes were car to single car

• 12 of all single vehicle crashes involved
  hitting a parked car

• Average claims cost car to car 1104

• Average claims single vehicle claim 723

• Average repair time 21.9 hrs (12.3 Panel/9.3
  Paint)

• Sample size still too small for definitive
  conclusions to be drawn (228)

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Real World Damage Study
Damage Location vs Cost of Repair (n250)
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Real World Damage Study
Damage Severity Distribution (n250)
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Low Speed Crash Research
Research Council for Automobile Repair
24 centres in 17 countries
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Low Speed Damageability
RCAR Damageability Group

• RCAR Damageability group members from
• Allianz (Germany)
• CESVI France
• CESVI Spain
• JIKEN Centre (Japan)
• IAG (Australia)
• IIHS (USA)
• Thatcham (UK)

Aim to look modifications to current Low Speed
Tests to replicate rear world damageability
levels and reduce repair costs.
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Low Speed Damageability
RCAR WG Agreements

• New Frontal Offset Test at 15 Km/h 40 offset
  with 10 degree angle
• New Rear Offset Test at 15 Km/h 40 offset with
  10 degree inclination of target using 1400 Kg
  Barrier
• Front and rear bumper tests to assess cosmetic
  damage and encourage good compatibility .

Ratified at RCAR 2003
Ratified at RCAR 2004
Work in Progress for RCAR 2005
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Low Speed Damageability
Angle Barrier Commitments

• GDV (Germany) has committed to angle barrier
  crash front and rear from Jan 2006 for German
  group rating

• Cesvi Spain and France have committed to the
  angle barrier crashes from Jan 2006 (advisory
  only)

• IAG (Australia) and JIKEN (Japan) have committed
  to new test but without time frame

• IIHS (USA) will NOT run angle barrier crash due
  to the severity of damage. Will run bumper crash
  from 06

• Thatcham has yet to decide on new test but feels
  new bumper crash more applicable

Thatcham
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Low Speed Damageability
Front Angle Barrier (15 Km/h 40 offset 10 degree
barrier)
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Low Speed Damageability
Rear Angle Barrier (15 Km/h 40 offset 10 degree
barrier 1400 kg)
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Rear Angle Impact
Bumper Beam sub-optimisation
No damage to beam after crash but severe damage
to car
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Rear Angle Impact
Vauxhall Vectra Effective Stroker Bumper
Light damage
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Low Speed Damageability
RCAR Angle Barrier Experience

• RCAR angle barrier crash exposes sub optimised
  designs

• Angle barrier crashes will produce repair
  estimates that are more representative of real
  world accident claims experience

• Angle barrier crash will drive effective
  structural integrity (prevent excessive damage
  travel)

• However angle barrier crash WILL NOT improve
  bumper performance nor control cosmetic damage
  the most significant repair cost

Thatcham
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RCAR Bumper Test
RCAR Bumper Barrier Development
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RCAR Bumper barrier development
RCAR Group Conclusions

• RCAR group agrees that bumper compatibility is an
  vital issue (48 of crashes purely cosmetic
  Thatcham interim report)

• RCAR group agrees that a second damageability
  test is required to address compatibility issue

• Bumper crash required to enhance current poor
  bumper and structural interaction

• Poor bumper engagement a significant factor in
  damageability vs Crash test mismatch eg current
  test always show perfect engagement

• Bumper test important to increase vehicle high
  speed compatibility and future pedestrian
  regulations

Thatcham
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Minor Front Corner Damage
Low Speed Damageability
2001 Volvo S60 (13371)
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Low Speed Damageability
Poor bumper compatibility leads to severe damage
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OW4048
Low Speed Damageability
Non repairable damage to target Peugeot 307
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OW4046
Low Speed Damageability
Bullet Peugeot 307 no damage to RCAR element
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Low Speed Damageability
Peugeot 307 bumper armature height miss match
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Bumper barrier crash creates underide
Requires energy absorber
4,600
324
3,189
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Low Speed Damageability
New test with Thatcham bumper barrier and EA
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Real World Crashes
Bumper height miss match in 10 Km/h crash
2001 Honda Accord struck rear of Suzuki Swift (
4,600)
Pre-impact positions of Accord and Swift
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Low Speed Damageability
Bumper Heights miss match no pitch
Thatcham
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Low Speed Damageability
Bumper Heights miss match at maximum pitch
Thatcham
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Bumper height miss-match
Bigger problem for SUVs Now 8 new car sales
in UK
Nissan Murano Maxima
Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokee
Volvo S40 XC90
Volvo XC90 (with low beam) S40
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10 Km/h Bumper Tests
Car to SUV from same manufacturers (USA)
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10 Km/h Bumper Tests
Car to SUV from same manufacturers (Europe)
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10 Km/h Bumper Tests
Some manufacturers with good bumpers can perform
well Regardless of mass or size of striking
vehicle
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RCAR Bumper Test
RCAR Bumper Barrier Format
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Low Speed Damageability
2004 my Bumper Profiles
Thatcham
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Low Speed Damageability
Cover and EA Profile
Thatcham
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Low Speed Damageability
Bumper Tests with Bumper Cover
Thatcham
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Low Speed Damageability
Bumper Barrier Proposed Heights front and rear
RCAR Front Bumper Proposal Span of Front
and REAR Pitch/Dive RCAR Rear Bumper Proposal
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Low Speed Damageability
RCAR Research into Vehicle Insurance Repair Costs
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Low Speed Damageability
Time Line for future testing

• February- Initial trials with Thatcham/IIHS
  bumper system (Citroen, Peugeot, Toyota)

• March Bumper Fest public reveal of bumper
  performance car to car interaction reference
  research Micra to Murano
• Fiesta to Freelander
• Megane to Espace
• Astra to Vectra
• Polo to Golf
  

• Bumper Fest vehicles to receive cosmetic repair

Thatcham
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Low Speed Damageability
Time Line for future testing

• April Bumper Testing with all Fest vehicles
  front and rear

• Cosmetic repair where possible

• May Angle barrier tests for Group Rating
  Validation

• Various angle barrier Group Rating impacts for
  test and grouping validation

Thatcham
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Low Speed Damageability
Interim Conclusions

• Angle barrier tests will drive improved heavy
  cosmetic damage (mean) and maintain current good
  control of structural damage

• Bumper barrier test will cover most frequently
  seen cosmetic damage and will control underide
  overide

• Bumper barrier test will control future vehicle
  compatibility problems caused by increase in SUV
  fleet

• Thatchams believes that adoption of both tests
  could better control damage repair costs through
  careful integration with UK group rating

Thatcham