Commission Decision of 20 March 2006 on the detailed technical requirements for carrying out the tests specified in Directive 2005/66/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the use of frontal protection systems on motor vehicles (notified under document number C(2006) 776) (Text with EEA relevance) (2006/368/EC)

4. Test procedure

4.1. The stabilised temperature of the test apparatus and the vehicle or sub-system must be 20° ± 4 °C.

4.2. The tests must be made to the frontal protection system between the corners of the frontal protection system upper leading edge, to points selected under paragraph 2.1.

4.3. The impactor must be aligned in such a way that the centre line of the propulsion system and the longitudinal axis of the impacting impactor are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frontal protection system as mounted on the vehicle or test frame. The tolerances to these directions are ± 2 °. At the time of first contact the impactor centre line must be coincident with the selected impact position with a ± 10 mm tolerance (see Figure 10), and laterally with a tolerance of ± 10 mm.

4.4. The required impact velocity, the angle of impact and the impactor mass must be determined in accordance with paragraphs 4.5 and 4.6. The tolerance on the impact velocity is ± 2 % and the tolerance on the impact direction is ± 2 °. The effect of gravity must be taken before the time of first contact. The impactor mass should be measured to an accuracy of better than ± 1 %, and if the measured value differs from the required value then the required velocity should be adjusted to compensate, in accordance with paragraph 4.7.1.

4.5. The required impact velocity and the angle of impact are determined from Figures 11 and 12 with reference to the vertical height of the intended impact position on the frontal protection system leading edge reference line and the frontal protection system lead.

4.6. The required impact energy must be derived from Figure 13 with reference to the vertical height, from ground reference level, of the intended impact position on the frontal protection system leading edge and the frontal protection system lead.

4.7.

The total mass of the impactor includes those propulsion and guidance components which are effectively part of the impactor during the impact, including the extra weights.

4.7.1. The required value of the impactor mass must be calculated in the following way:

M	= 2E/V2
Where	M = Mass (kg) E = Required Impact Energy (J) V = Required Velocity (m/s)

4.7.2. The impactor mass may be adjusted from the calculated value by up to ± 10 %, provided the required impact velocity is also changed using the above formula to maintain the required impactor kinetic energy.

4.7.3. The required extra weights must be fitted accordingly in order to give the calculated value of impactor mass, calculated in accordance with paragraph 4.7.1, to the rear of the rear member as shown in Figure 9, or to components of the guidance system which are effectively part of the impactor during the impact.