UN / ECE R 26 Tests

UN ECE R26 tests cover a series of tests carried out in accordance with the relevant regulation for the evaluation of M1 category vehicles in terms of external projections.

ECE regulations define cross-border technical regulations for establishing approval or uniform approval procedures for motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts. Automated commercial vehicles are already fully eligible for approval only through appropriate individual measures in the country in which they will be used. What is missing is a set of rules at the international ECE level.

Regulation No. 26 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) — It covers the uniform provisions regarding the approval of vehicles according to their external projections and the tests applied accordingly.

The purpose of UN ECE R26 regulation is to reduce the risk or severity of bodily injury to a person who is struck by or brushed against the bodywork in the event of a collision. This applies both when the vehicle is stationary and in motion.

According to the regulation;

• The exterior of vehicles must not be free of any pointed or sharp parts or protrusions of size, orientation or hardness that could increase the risk or severity of bodily injury to a person struck by the exterior surface.
• Any parts on the exterior of the vehicles that could be caught by pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists should not be directed outwards.
• The radius of curvature of any protruding part of the outer surface shall not be less than 2,5 mm. This requirement does not apply to parts of the outer surface that protrude less than 5 mm, but the outward angle of these parts should be blunted, except where such parts protrude less than 1,5 mm.
• The radius of curvature of the protruding parts of the outer surface made of a material with a hardness not exceeding 60 Shore A may be less than 2,5 mm.
• The hardness measurement will be taken with the component installed in the vehicle. Where it is impossible to make a hardness measurement with the Shore A procedure, comparable measurements will be used for evaluation.

For tests to be considered successful, test results must meet regulatory requirements.