ISO 27955 Road Vehicles - Securing Loads in Passenger Cars, Station Wagons and Multi-Purpose Vehicles - Requirements and Test Methods

The standard "ISO 27955 Road vehicles - Securing loads in passenger cars, station wagons and multi-purpose vehicles - Requirements and test methods" published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) describes the requirements for load securing devices used in passenger cars, station wagons and multi-purpose vehicles. Here, the seats directly limit the loading area.

This standard specifies minimum requirements and test methods for front and rear seats and partition systems to improve the protection of vehicle occupants against shifting loads in the event of a frontal impact. It also defines minimum requirements and tests for lashing points on the above-mentioned vehicles to be able to secure a load (luggage or goods) in a reliable and roadworthy manner.

For vehicles primarily designed for freight transport and derived from a passenger car, only the requirements of this standard regarding lashing points apply. Additional requirements for these vehicles and for other delivery vans are specified in the standard "DIN ISO 27956 Road vehicles - Securing of loads on delivery vans - Requirements and test methods".

For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply:

• A single seat is a seat designed to seat a single passenger and has a backrest that is not attached to the vehicle structure, including the seat structure and upholstery.
• A bench seat is a bench whose seat structure, together with upholstery, is designed to seat more than one passenger.
• A folding chair or bench is a chair or bench that is designed and folded for normal use or occasional use, or both.
• Anchorage is the system by which the seat assembly is secured to the vehicle structure, including the affected parts of the vehicle structure.
• The locking system is the device that ensures that the seat and its parts are kept in the position of use.
• The adjustment system is the device by which the seat or its parts can be adjusted to a position suitable for the anthropometry of the person sitting. In particular, this device can allow longitudinal, vertical and angular displacement.
• A displacement system is a device by which a seat or one of its parts can be moved or rotated, or both, to enable passengers to easily access the space behind that seat.
• A head restraint is a device intended to limit the rearward displacement of an adult occupant's head relative to their body in order to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident.
• A tie-down point is an integral device to which a vehicle's attachment or attachment devices can be attached in a form-fit manner and designed to transfer the forces applied by the attachment devices to the vehicle structure. For example, a loop, tie-down, hook, eye, tab, hooked edge, threaded link, rail.
• A lashing device is a device designed to be attached to lashing points in order to secure the load (luggage and luggage) in the vehicle. Such a device may consist of a net, a tensioning device (e.g. belt, strap), a tensioning element (e.g. wrench, ratchet, spanner) and connections (e.g. hook, eye) as defined by the vehicle manufacturer.

The table provided within the standard provides a summary of the applicable requirements of this standard.

For stability reasons, the backrests intended to limit the loading area must be designed to increase the protection of vehicle occupants against load shifting during sudden vehicle deceleration.

During the test, the test blocks must be held by the backrest and the backrest locking system must still be engaged. Permanent deformations of the backrest, seat, anchors, adjustment systems and displacement systems are permitted as long as they do not cause risks of injury to the occupants. After the test, there must be no sharp or jagged edges that are likely to increase the risk or severity of injury to the occupants.

Passengers sitting in the rearmost row of seats directly bordering the loading area must be protected by a partition system to increase protection against unsecured loads above the backrests.

During testing, the test blocks shall be held by partition systems or integral vehicle parts or both. The partition systems or integral vehicle parts or both shall maintain their position and shall not break away from their attachment points.

During testing, the front surface of the partition systems or integral vehicle parts or both, if defined as part of the partition system, shall not be displaced forward by more than 300 mm from a transverse plane touching the rear edge of the seat backs in the design position. In exceptional cases, if forward movement exceeds 300 mm, the manufacturer shall demonstrate, for example with the help of high-speed films, that there is no additional risk to the occupants.

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