Damageability Working Group
Mission/Goal
The RCAR Damageability Working Group establishes and maintains standards for evaluating the damageability of vehicles in low speed crashes where the structure of the vehicle may be compromised, but typically no bodily injury occurs.
Based on research and statistical investigation, the Damageability Working Group administers established standards, while evaluating new standards, in order to;
- improve the ease of repair of vehicles
- reduce cost of ownership
The tests are intended to pinpoint the damageability and repair costs of the vehicle and the subsequent effects on cost of ownership. The RCAR Damageability Working Group aims to harmonize these crash test standards in international cooperation to achieve worldwide validated standards. Thus the Damageability Working Group aims to;
- provide both insurers and automakers with a proven and reproducible test method that is applicable for all markets
- provide markets with test procedures that are open to their specific needs, respectively, when rating the test results
The Damageability Working Group promotes the usage of these tests by open negotiation with automakers and other parties, as well as with documents detailing the procedures.
The Damageability Working Group will generally not rank any test results for public information; however, each individual institution can decide where it might be appropriate to publish their own test results, based on their market.
Group Chair and Contact Information
Mr. Carsten Reinkemeyer
AZT Automotive GmbH
Muenchener Strasse 89
85737 Ismaning
Germany
Int.: +49 89 3800 6393
Email:
Group Members
- AZT - Germany
- CESVI - France
- CESVIMAP- Spain
- CIRI - China
- IAG - Australia
- IIHS - USA
- JKC - Japan
- KART - Korea
- KTI - Germany
- State Farm - USA
- Allstate - USA
- Thatcham - UK
- currently passive member: Centro Zaragoza - Spain
Published Papers
- General Agenda of RCAR’s Damageability Working Group
- Effects of the RCAR Bumper Test
- Status of RCAR Centers' Implementation of the RCAR Structural and Bumper Test
- Low-Speed Structural Crash Test Protocol (Issue 2.5)
- Bumper Test Procedure (Version 2.3) July 2023
- The German Insurance Group Rating Procedure is currently being revised by the German Insurers’ Association GDV and therefore not available here until further notice
- Implications of Lower Load Path (September 2018)
Current Work Activity
- Survey of high-voltage battery damage and specific damage patterns of electric vehicles
- Investigation of a Design Evaluation Tool
- Evaluation of effects of protruding lower load paths on insurance risk prediction