Event

Welcome to our workshop on Equality in Occupant Protection!
 

Background

The Swedish Transport Agency has been leading the issue of equal crash safety on behalf of Sweden within the UNECE. A global working group, the Equitable Occupant Protection (EqOP), was initiated in 2022 under Swedish leadership. The work began with a study to determine the key areas the working group should focus on. The following areas were identified:

• Head injuries: Various studies have reached different conclusions.
• Soft tissue neck injuries: in rear-end collisions.
• Extremity injuries in frontal collisions.
• Chest injuries in frontal and side collisions.
• Abdominal injuries in frontal collisions.

The following working groups have been established:

• Rear impact assessment
• Virtual testing
• Restraint system requirements
• Geometric requirements
• Dynamic requirements/system performance
• Extension to new injury types
  • Lower extremities
  • Upper extremities
  • Brain

There is also a task force within EqOP documenting the results from the meta-study in a research report, which is expected to be presented as a peer-reviewed article in 2026. The workshop is hosted by Pernilla Bremer, The Swedish Transport Agency, and Torbjörn Andersson, Autoliv.

Purpose and goal of the workshop
The purpose of this workshop is to present the ongoing global efforts under Swedish leadership in the field of equality in occupant protection. It aims to provide participants with a comprehensive overview of current trends and research needs, initiate a dialogue on relevant existing research, and facilitate discussions on key research questions to advance the work within EqOP. Participants will have the opportunity to network, engage in meaningful discussions, and contribute to shaping future projects based on the latest knowledge in the field.

By the end of the event, you will:

- Have a deeper understanding of ongoing research and initiatives in this area.

- Establish network contacts for future collaborations.

- Have the opportunity to contribute to and participate in future research projects.

We will provide the option to participate online, but we encourage as many as possible to attend and participate in person – it allows for much deeper dialogue that way.

Agenda

10:00 Introduction and overview of the day

10:10 Round table presentations – core competences and key interests in this topic

10:25 UNECE and the global working group
Introduction to the global working group in Equality in Occupant Protection, presentation of the meta-analysis results and an overview of the groups that have been established in the field.

10:45 Coffee and networking break

11:00 Ongoing initiatives – Roundtable discussion

Review of ongoing initiatives within the participants' respective organisations and exploration of potential synergies.

11:30 Special guests and inspirational speakers

12:00 Lunch

12:45 Regulation Development in the field

- Discussion on ongoing regulatory developments and what more needs to be done to ensure equal protection for all occupants.

13:15 Discussion session: Identifying knowledge gaps and future research

- Discussion of the identified knowledge gaps and additional questions participants wish to address.

- Participants contribute insights on research questions related to the presented meta-analysis.

Time allocated for presentations and in-depth discussions on research questions and initiatives.

14:15 Coffee break

14:30 Continued discussions              

15:15 Conclusion and next steps

15:30 End of event

Preparations
Participants are encouraged to prepare questions and ideas in advance to contribute to the discussions and potentially present their own research initiatives.

We look forward to a day filled with insightful discussions, networking, and strategic planning to advance the work on equality in occupant protection. 

Welcome!