Pedestrian Airbag Adopted as UN International Standard

UN Approves Korea-Led Pedestrian Airbag Regulation”

The pedestrian device(airbag) international standard proposed by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) was officially adopted at the 193rd UN World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) held in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 25 to 28, 2024.

This amendment to the international standard includes test methods and requirements for “deployable pedestrian protection devices,” which are designed to protect pedestrians’ heads in the event of a collision with a vehicle. This is expected to promote the development of related technologies by automakers and contribute to reducing pedestrian injuries in traffic accidents.

Deployable pedestrian protection devices, such as the “active hood” and “pedestrian airbags,” are systems that activate to protect pedestrians during a collision. While previous international standards only covered test methods for vehicles equipped with regular hoods, this new amendment now includes test procedures for vehicles with deployable pedestrian protection devices.

Since 2014, Korea has led the initiative to revise these international standards, serving as the chair country of the Informal Working Group (IWG) under the WP.29. TS Chairman Kwon Yong-bok emphasized that the adoption of this amendment marks a significant step in enhancing Korea’s global competitiveness in automotive safety standards. He also highlighted Korea’s commitment to leading the establishment of environmentally friendly automotive standards, in addition to ensuring safety and performance.

With the adoption of this international standard, automakers will now have clearer guidelines to drive technological advancements, ultimately contributing to a significant reduction in pedestrian injuries in traffic accidents.

Editor 드라이버M
^{Provided by: KATRI}