Ambulance Patient Compartment Seating Integrity and Occupant Restraint
J3026_201611
This SAE Recommended Practice describes the testing procedures that may be used to evaluate the integrity of ground ambulance-based occupant seating and occupant restraint systems for workers and civilians transported in the patient compartment of an ambulance when exposed to a frontal or side impact. This Recommended Practice was based on ambulance patient compartment dynamics and is not applicable to other vehicle applications or seating positions. This Recommended Practice is structured to accommodate seating systems installed in multiple attitudes including but not limited to side-facing, rear-facing, and forward-facing. Its purpose is to provide ambulance seating manufacturers, ambulance occupant restraint manufacturers, ambulance builders, and end-users with testing procedures and, where appropriate, acceptance criteria that, to a great extent ensures the occupant seating and occupant restraint system meet similar performance criteria as FMVSS 208 requires for seat belted passengers in light vehicles. The test conditions utilized are standardized orientations that do not reflect potential conditions that may exist prior to impact such as braking and/or steering and their effects on the initial positions of the occupants and surfaces relative to the occupants. Descriptions of the test set-up, test instrumentation, photographic/video coverage, text fixture, and performance metrics are included.
Rationale:
This revision includes clarification for bench seat testing to ensure a single or multi seat bench is tested in the same manner as a single, standalone captain’s style seat. A reference to the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, Part 571.210 has been added to assist in determining when multiple anthropomorphic test devices should be used during a single test event. This revision also provides the ability for test facilities to utilize either the Hybrid III or ES2-re anthropomorphic test device for side impact testing relative to seated occupant’s orientation.
Related Topics:
Child restraint systems
Anthropometric test devices
Side impact crashes
Restraint systems
Safety belts
Seats and seating
Impact tests
Also known as: SAE J 3026
SAE MOBILUS
Subscribers can view annotate, and download all of SAE's content.
Learn More »