Test procedure
The procedure runs from pre-impact data through the impact to impact data, post-impact data and disposal. Each stage has to be recorded, not reconstructed later.
Basis. The public preview stops before this clause; the page states the published structure and the public guidance. The clause number and defined terms are the standard's; the explanation is our own.
What clause 6.7 asks
Clause 6.7 sets the test procedure. It covers the pre-impact data, the impact itself, the impact data, the post-impact data and the disposal of the test vehicle. The pre-impact stage records the vehicle, the barrier, the geometry and the conditions before release. The impact stage records what happened at contact. The impact data stage records the dynamic measurements. The post-impact stage records the static measurements, the condition of the barrier and the vehicle, and the debris. Disposal deals with the vehicle after the test. The clause is the spine of the report: every result the buyer relies on is produced by one of these stages.
Why it matters
A test is a sequence, and a missing stage cannot be filled in afterwards. If the pre-impact photographs do not show the datum line, the post-impact distance cannot be tied to it. If the dynamic penetration is not recorded, the static measurement may understate what happened. If the vehicle is moved before the post-impact measurements, the scene is lost. The procedure clause is also where the optional assessments, such as pedestrian intruder access or occupant injury, have to be planned rather than added at the end.
What good looks like
Use the clause as a run sheet. Give each stage a named owner and a time. Record the pre-impact scene, the impact, the dynamic data and the post-impact scene before anything is moved. Keep the raw video and the measurement sheets with the report. Where an optional assessment is wanted, put it in the test brief so that the instrumentation and the observers are planned.
Evidence an assessor asks for
The reviewer will follow the report from pre-impact to post-impact. A stage that is missing or reconstructed is a weakness in every number that follows.
- Run sheet A timed checklist for the pre-impact, impact, impact data, post-impact and disposal stages
- Pre-impact record Photographs and measurements of the vehicle, barrier, datum and geometry before release
- Impact data The dynamic measurements, including speed, penetration and debris movement
- Post-impact record The static measurements, the barrier and vehicle condition, and the debris field
- Raw media The high-speed video and photographs, retained with the report
Where it commonly fails
- The post-impact measurements are taken after the vehicle has been towed away
- The dynamic penetration is not recorded and only the static position is reported
- The pre-impact photographs do not show the datum line or the distance markers
- An optional assessment is claimed although no instrumentation or observer was planned for it
What to do before the amendment publishes
Turn Clause 6.7 into the test brief and the report checklist. Require the raw media and the measurement sheets, not only the summary.