UN R127 — 03 series of amendments

New paragraph 2.44. defines the “Windscreen test area” as an area on the outer surface of the windscreen. Its front, rear and side boundaries refer to the opaque obscuration, the visible edges of the windscreen material and a WAD 2,500. In the windscreen area, child headform tests apply forward of and including WAD 1,700, and adult headform tests rearward of WAD 1,700. New paragraph 2.46. defines “Opaque obscuration” as any area of the glazing preventing light transmission, but excluding any shade band, dot-printed area, text or graphics. It includes any solid black windscreen-printed area. New paragraph 2.47. defines “Shade band” as any area of the glazing with a reduced light transmittance, excluding any opaque obscuration.

Paragraphs 2.1. and 2.16. now define the “Adult headform bonnet top test area” and the “Child headform bonnet top test area”. Before, they were named “Adult headform test area” and “Child headform test area”, and paragraph 2.10. now uses the new names. At the rear boundary of the adult headform bonnet top test area, WAD 2,100 becomes WAD 2,500, and paragraph 2.43. describes WAD2500 instead of WAD2100. A new footnote to WAD2500 in paragraph 2.43. adds the words “or WAD 2,100 in accordance with paragraph 11.9.” to that value. New paragraph 2.45. defines “Cowl monitoring area”, generally located near the rear of the bonnet test area and the front of the windscreen test area. It has separate boundaries for the adult head tests, if any, and for the child head tests.

Paragraph 5.2.1. covers child and adult headform tests in accordance with Annex 5, paragraphs 3., 4., and 5. In these tests, the HIC must now not exceed 1,000 over two thirds of the combined bonnet top test area and the windscreen test area. The HIC must also not exceed 1,000 over two-thirds of the bonnet top test area, and 1,700 for both headforms over the remaining test areas. Measuring points in the cowl monitoring area are not taken into consideration for these performance requirements. Annex 5, paragraphs 3.4.1., 3.4.2. and 3.4.4. now include the windscreen test area in the HIC zones, their marking and the surface calculation. The cowl monitoring area is not considered for the marking of the “HIC1000 zone” and “HIC1700 zone”.

Tests must now also be made to the windscreen within the boundaries defined in paragraph 2.44. For tests on the windscreen, the headform impactor must not directly contact the A-pillars, windscreen header and cowl, except in the case of monitoring testing. With each headform impactor, at least nine tests must be carried out over its own bonnet top and windscreen test areas together. Where possible, at least one of these nine tests must be carried out on the windscreen test area. At the discretion of the technical service, one of these nine tests may be conducted (in any third) in the cowl monitoring area. For each test on the windscreen, an undamaged and untested windscreen must be used.

New paragraph 2.48. defines “Atypical windscreen fracture behaviour” as a headform to windscreen impact that results in at least one of two listed cases. The cases refer to the derivation of the headform acceleration, the time at which a minimum acceleration value is reached, and the visible glass breaking. Under Annex 5, paragraphs 4.8. and 5.8., tests may be repeated in case of atypical windscreen fracture. Where the HIC value exceeds or is equal to the respective limit of the head impact zone, the repetition is at the manufacturer’s request. In this case, the maximum number of repetitions on a measuring point is 3 (4 tests total). The technical service may request repeats where the HIC is below the limit, for instance with underlying structures within 100 mm of the measuring point.

If the A-pillars and/or windscreen header incorporate pedestrian or bicyclist head injury mitigation features, additional monitoring tests must be carried out on such structure. The manufacturer must declare such features, for example an external airbag, deployable structure or energy absorption elements. Contracting Parties may indicate that monitoring results are not required for the approval to be recognised and accepted by them. In such case, the measuring points on the A-pillars, windscreen header and/or cowl must be selected as agreed between the technical service and the manufacturer. The manufacturer may also voluntarily request monitoring tests for other innovative solutions that reduce head injury levels from head contact with A-pillars and/or windscreen header. The monitoring results must be detailed in new point 16 of the type-approval communication form (Annex 1, Part 2).

In paragraph 4.2. and Annex 2, the approval number digits and the example approval mark now refer to the 03 series of amendments. From 7 July 2024, Contracting Parties are not obliged to accept type approvals to the preceding series first issued after 7 July 2024. Until 7 July 2026, they must accept type approvals to the preceding series first issued before 7 July 2024. From 7 July 2026, they are not obliged to accept type approvals issued to the preceding series. Until 1 September 2028, they must continue to grant type approvals using the atypical windscreen fracture test proceedings and the WAD 2,100 boundary provisions. Until 1 September 2029, they must continue to accept type approvals issued using the WAD 2,100 boundary provisions (para. 11.10.).