§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contribution he is making to the EUROSID project; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsMy Department has taken a major role in the development of the EUROSID side-impact test dummy through the transport and road research laboratory. Researchers from TRRL have led the working group within the European experimental vehicles committee which has designed, developed and tested EUROSID. TRRL was responsible for the development of the important thorax of the dummy. The dummy is now fully tested and in production through Ogle Design Ltd. of the United Kingdom.
The Department has similarly taken a lead in development of the full-scale side-impact test procedure for cars. The United Kingdom is pressing for early agreement within the European Community on a side-impact directive incorporating this test. This work is expected to be completed in the next two to three years. When implemented, this should ensure that cars are designed to offer better protection to their occupants in collisions to their sides, saving considerable life and injury. EUROSID is a central requirement of the test, since it measures the likely injury to the occupants.