User:AdeHob/sandbox/Professor Adrian Hobbs B.Sc. C.Eng. F.I.Mech.E. C.B.E.

Charles Adrian Hobbs (born January 1946, in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, UK) is a world-renowned safety expert in vehicle crashworthiness with an extensive background in accident and injury investigation and analysis.

As an engineer and later as Honorary Chief Research Scientist, Adrian has been involved in the UK Government’s programme of Crash Injury Research for nearly 30 years. A pioneer in his field, key highlights of his career include undertaking the research that helped lead to the mandatory wearing of the seatbelt in the UK, the development of the Offset Deformable Frontal Barrier Crash Test and the establishment of the safety organisation EURO NCAP (www.euroncap.com). Adrian was awarded a C.B.E in 2008.

Adrian has provided advice to the World Bank, the World Health Organisation, the European Commission and Central European and North African countries on transport safety and the provision of emergency services.

SAFETY CAREER

Adrian Hobbs joined the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in 1972 as a Scientific Officer. For two years he was involved in investigating accident causation – when the police were called to an accident, so was Adrian. He spent time investigating the contributing factors to an accident. Was it the road user, vehicle, road or the surrounding environment? In 1976 he reported on his analysis of brake defects and their contribution to accidents.

In 1974, his research attention turned to the study of car occupant injuries. He analysed and reported on the direct connection between the accident, resulting injuries, their causes and the effectiveness of safety features. He gathered medical data, inspected cars and sent questionnaires. His conclusions were clear: intrusion into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, during a frontal impact accident, played a very major role in causing injuries.

As a result of this research, he realised how effective wearing a seatbelt was in preventing serious injury to a vehicle’s occupants. In 1978, Adrian produced LR 811, a comprehensive study of the life-saving potential of seat belt wearing. This study helped lead to the passing of the mandatory seatbelt wearing legislation in the UK, which came into force on 31st January 1983.

Adrian then switched his research focus to vehicle safety and, in 1985, he designed a demonstration Pedestrian Safety Car (based on a Mini Metro). He later modified this Pedestrian Safety Car to incorporate current thinking in Frontal and Side impact protection. For side impact, conventional wisdom held that protection came from strengthening the side of the car and providing padding protection on the inside of the door. Adrian’s modifications DID improve the car, but the car still did NOT provide good protection or meet the proposed side impact test requirements. Elsewhere in France, Germany, and the UK, another vehicle was tested. Although much weaker than the modified Metro, this car performed better. Amazed, Adrian set out to find out why and to truly understand the side impact injury process. He discovered that a lighter door rather than a heavier door bounces off the impacting car and starts moving the occupant earlier, increasing the time the body has to absorb the impact so reducing the severity of injuries. He also discovered that when the door is controlled to move in vertically, it spreads the load over the chest, abdomen and pelvis consequently avoiding its concentration on the vulnerable chest area, reducing the possibility of a fatal injury. The provision of padding, Adrian also concluded, had to be very soft to help spread the load and cushion the impact. These conclusions and research directly contributed to the development of the European Side Impact Directive.

In the early 1990s, Adrian identified the inadequacies in the current frontal crash test procedure and his research led to the development of the Offset Deformable Barrier (ODB) Frontal Impact Crash Test. Adrian’s frontal ODB test was adopted, in Europe and elsewhere, for both legislation and consumer test programmes.

With this research under his belt, Adrian took on the study of Compatibility, the science of how cars might work together to minimise injuries to the occupants of both vehicles.

To Europe

During the 1990’s, Adrian was an active member of the European Experimental Vehicles Committee (EEVC) in particular of the Frontal Impact and the Compatibility Working Groups, which he initiated. He also collaborated with other working groups to develop test procedures for side impact and pedestrian protection.

Adrian was asked by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) to present the case for the adoption of the EEVC Frontal and Side Impact test procedures for European Type Approval at to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The EEVC was proposing an initial crash test speed of 56km/h (approx. 30mph) rather than the 60km/h used already in research crash tests. The intention was that the test speed would later be increased to 60 km/h.

A European Parliament Inter-group meeting took place, with Max Mosley of the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA) as chairman. Industry was there to oppose – their concern was that cars could not be built to withstand the speeds proposed. Yet Max Mosley, profoundly moved by the recent death of Ayrton Senna on the race track, developed an increased interest in reducing the road accident injury toll. The death of a racing driver had spurred on the cause to improve car safety for the public and to prevent millions of deaths on European roads.

A new consumer information programme

Meanwhile, back in the UK Adrian had been working on a proposal for an independent crash test programme called UK NCAP. His proposal, presented in 1994, outlined to the UK Department for Transport the concept of a consumer information programme based on the EEVC proposed frontal impact, side impact and pedestrian protection crash test procedures. His reason for a consumer-based information car-testing programme was clear. He cited the New Car Assessment Programme in the US that had had a more significant effect on changing car design than any US legislative test. He also cited the magazine Auto Motor und Sport and the ADAC, in Germany, whose published car crash tests results were already influencing how manufacturers designed their cars, as they endeavoured to obtain good ratings in the published tests.

The Department for Transport agreed to go ahead with the proposal and initiated the first phase of tests and assessments. Following further discussions in Brussels, Adrian mentioned the proposal to Max Mosley. Mosley was inspired to help and make Adrian’s wish for a Europe wide consumer test programme a reality. Called initially the UK NCAP programme it then came to be branded, with the support of the FIA and other European players, as Euro NCAP.

‘No politician would put in legislative standards that a manufacturer couldn’t meet. It was necessary to create a competitive market place for safety, which ensured that carmakers exceeded basic standards. It was imperative to empower the safety engineer in the heart of carmakers so that their managements made safety a priority’, said Adrian.

EURO NCAP

Euro NCAP (the European New Car Assessment Programme) is now an established consumer-testing programme that assesses and publishes the safety of new cars and provides valuable safety information to consumers. Thousands of crash-tested cars later and the award of thousands of stars to industry, Euro NCAP has led to the establishment of other similar consumer programmes across the world and has contributed greatly to the safety of cars available on the European market.

Yet it all began with Adrian’s persistence and a group of dedicated safety pioneers. The inaugural meeting of Euro NCAP was held in December 1996 with only a few members: the UK Department of Transport, the FIA, the Swedish National Road Administration (SNRA) and International Testing. The very first results of 7 crash-tested super-minis were released publically to the media in early 1997, much to the consternation of industry.

Professor Adrian Hobbs was the first Chairman of the Technical Working Group and he later became Secretary General until his retirement in 2007.

Dr Michiel van Ratingen is the current Secretary General – www.euroncap.com.

Euro NCAP’s team of engineers and labs now carry out a frontal, side impact and pedestrian protection test as well as assessments on child protection and on the range of technologies existing within the car. Tests are carried out on all vehicles from super-minis to SUVs to the latest hybrids, resulting in a star rating with a maximum award of 5 stars. Special awards are also given to carmakers with innovative technologies.

Safety achievements and developments in the industry, as a direct result of the work of Euro NCAP, have included the following:

For frontal impact protection - improved car structures limiting passenger compartment intrusion, so providing space for the restraints to operate without the occupants impacting the car’s interior; improved seat belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters, improved multi stage frontal airbags, removal of hazards in the knee impact area and knee protecting air bags.

For side impact protection - improved car side structures with airbags to protect the head, chest, abdomen and pelvis; and pole impact protection.

Additional achievements have been: car fronts with improved pedestrian protection; improved child occupant protection; provision of effective reminders to wear seat belts; promotion and greater introduction of technologies such as electronic stability controls, autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warnings.

PERSONAL LIFE

Professor Adrian Hobbs continues to provide consultancy on road and vehicle safety issues and provides advice to the media. He is a motor sport enthusiast having been a rally driver in his youth. Since retirement, he has become involved in supporting a number of local and national organisations. Since 1974, he has been married to Jacqueline, a retired teacher with a keen focus on special needs. Their adopted son Philip died in 2002, aged 28. Adrian and Jackie live together in Berkshire.

CAREER SUMMARY

1969-72	   Mather & Platt Ltd; Research and Development Engineer 1972-2003  Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL); Transport Research Laboratory (TRL); Scientific Officer to Chief Research Scientist Honoris Causa 2003-2007  European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP); Secretary General

Professional Titles and Distinctions 1969	B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering	       University of Salford 1974	Member (M.I.Mech.E.)		       Institution of Mechanical Engineers 1974	Chartered Engineer (C.Eng.)		Council of Engineering Institutions Engineering Council 1990	European Engineer (Eur.Ing.)		European Federation of National

Engineering Associations (FEANI) 1991	Fellow (F.I.Mech.E.)			Institution of Mechanical Engineers 1992	Industrial Professor			Loughborough University of Technology 1994	Research Fellow			       Transport Research Laboratory 2001	Fellow					Transport Research Foundation 2008	Commander (C.B.E.)			Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

Recognition and Awards 1986	Road Safety Award		Institution of Highways & Transportation 1996	Special Award of Appreciation; US Department of Transportation / National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2004	Bertil Aldman Award; International Research Council on Biokinetics of Impacts (IRCOBI) 2013	Individual Achievement Award	Global NCAP

Selected Publications

HOBBS, C A, Brake Defects in Cars, Proceedings of Institution of Mechanical Engineers Conference on “Braking of Road Vehicles”, Loughborough, 1976.

HOBBS, C A, The Effectiveness of Seat Belts in Reducing Injuries to Car Occupants, TRRL Laboratory Report 811, 1978.

HOBBS, C A, E GRATTAN and J A HOBBS, Classification of Injury Severity by Length of Stay in Hospital, TRRL Laboratory Report 871, 1979.

LOWNE, R W, S P F PETTY, J HARRIS and C A HOBBS, The Need for a Force Measuring Dummy in Side Impact Testing, Proceedings of the Society of Automotive Engineers Passenger Car Meeting, Dearborn, 1979.

HOBBS, C A, Car Occupant Injury Patterns and Mechanisms. Proceedings of the Eighth International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles, Wolfsburg, 1980.

HOBBS, C A, H MEHRKENS, W SPIER and J T JONES, Road Traffic Accidents in Morocco, World Health Organisation, 1983.

MILLS, P J, and C A HOBBS, The Probability of Injury to Car Occupants in Frontal and Side Impacts. Proceedings of the 28th Stapp Car Crash Conference, Chicago, 1984.

HOBBS, C A, G J L LAWRENCE and C S CLARKE, PSC1 - A Demonstration Car with Improvements for Pedestrian Protection, Proceedings of the Tenth International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles, Oxford, 1985.

STEERING COMMITTEE FOR STATISTICAL INDICATORS FOR ACCIDENTS. Information and Guidelines on the Use of The Basic Data Set on Accidents, World Health Organisation, Copenhagen, 1985.

HOBBS, C A, M G LANGDON, R W LOWNE and S PENOYRE, Development of the European Side Impact Test Procedure and Related Vehicle Improvements. Proceedings of the Eleventh International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles, Washington, 1987.

STEERING COMMITTEE FOR STATISTICAL INDICATORS FOR ACCIDENTS. A Basic Data Set and Guidelines for It's Use, World Health Organisation, Copenhagen, 1987.

HOBBS, C A and M G LANGDON. Thoracic Impact and Injury in Side Impact Accidents. Proceedings of the 1988 International IRCOBI Conference on The Biomechanics of Impacts, Bergisch Gladbach, 1988.

HOBBS, C A. The Influence of Car Structures and Padding on Side Impact Injuries. Proceedings of the Twelfth International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles, Gothenburg, 1989.

HOBBS, C A. Essential Requirements for an Effective Full Scale Frontal Impact Test. SAE International Congress and Exposition, Detroit, 1990, (SAE 900410).

HOBBS, C A. The Need For Improved Structural Integrity in Frontal Car Impacts. Proceedings of Thirteenth International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles, Paris, 1991.

HOBBS, C A. The Need for a Deformable Impact Test Surface for Frontal Impact Testing. Proceedings of Institution of Mechanical Engineers - Seminar on Frontal Impact Testing, London, 1992.

GERONDEAU, C, J-B BOUZIGUES, D ELLINGHAUS, C A HOBBS and P LOWE, Qualitative Analysis of the System to Campaign against Road Accidents, World Bank - European Commission, 1992.

HOBBS, C A, and D A WILLIAMS, The Development of the Frontal Offset Deformable Barrier Test, Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, Munich, 1994.

HOBBS, C A, Dispelling the Misconceptions about Side Impact Protection. Advances in Occupant Protection Technologies for the Mid-Nineties (SP-1077) SAE International Congress and Exposition, Detroit, 1995.

HOBBS, C A, The Rationale and Development of the Offset Deformable Frontal Impact Test Procedure. Issues in Automotive Safety Technology: Offset Frontal Crashes, Airbags, and Belt Restraint Effectiveness (SP-1072) SAE International Congress and Exposition, Detroit, 1995.

HOBBS, C A, United Kingdom - New Car Assessment Programme (UK-NCAP) Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, Melbourne, 1996.

HOBBS, C A, D A WILLIAMS and D J COLEMAN Compatibility of Cars in Frontal and Side Impact. Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, Melbourne, 1996.

HOBBS, C A, and P J McDonough, Development of the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, Windsor, 1998

WYKES, N J, M J EDWARDS and C A HOBBS, Compatibility Requirements for Cars in Frontal and Side Impact, Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, Windsor, 1998.

HOBBS, ADRIAN, Protecting People in Crashes- Making Cars Safer, Best in Europe 2000 Road Safety Conference, European Transport Safety Council, Brussels, 2000.

HOBBS, ADRIAN et al, Priorities for EU Motor Vehicle Safety Design, European Transport Safety Council, Brussels, 2001.

HOBBS, C A, Creating A Market For Safety – 10 Years of Euro NCAP, European New Car Assessment Programme, Brussels, 2005.