TRL has made a major contribution to new frontal and side impact test procedures which should lead to substantial reductions in road accident casualties. Based on an understanding of injuries and their mechanisms in accidents, TRL initiated and worked with other European laboratories to develop new test procedures, instrumented dummies and performance requirements suitable for international legislation. Accident investigation, experimental research and computer simulation modelling all contributed towards an improved understanding of vehicle safety and injury mechanisms. As part of this research, TRL has developed guidelines for improving vehicle designs to improve their performance in impacts, and this their performance in impacts, and this knowledge has helped to inform policy makers and legislators prior to the enactment of new legislation. For the future, TRL is developing research programmes which will lead into the next generation of vehicle safety improvements. (A)
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