Honda Constructs World's First Indoor Vehicle-to-Vehicle Crash Test Facility

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced today that it has completed construction of an indoor all-weather vehicle-to-vehicle crash test facility at the Tochigi center of Honda R & D Co., Ltd.

Honda has invested 6.8 billion yen in this facility. It is the first of its kind in the world, capable of handling not only existing crash tests that employ static barriers, but also tests between vehicles in situations that simulate actual traffic accidents.

The facility has a total floor area of 41,000 square meters and a total of eight test tracks that are constructed in a radial shape. Together, the tracks permit the reproduction of crashes from almost any direction at 15-degree increments. The facility also is capable of testing crashes between two cars traveling at different speeds, as well as crash tests involving different sizes of vehicles such as a passenger car and a truck. In addition, simulated automobile and pedestrian accidents can be conducted as part of a wide-ranging crash situation analysis system. The indoor facilities will allow testing regardless of the weather, thereby helping shorten research and development times.

As a leader in developing world-class safety technology that meets or exceeds current safety standards, Honda plans to use the new facility, which better reflects actual traffic accident situations, to achieve ever-higher levels of vehicle safety.

Honda has made safety a major priority not only in manufacturing its vehicles, but also in such other applications as driver education and how to minimize injuries in the event of accidents.

Honda has a long record of leadership in safety-related technology. It was the first company in Japan to introduce an anti-lock brake system and the first to provide an SRS airbag system for cars.

Overview of the New Test Facilities

Total floor area:

41,000 square meters

Building dimensions:

North-South 272 m

East-West 178 m

Roof Height 15 m

Number of test tracks:

8 (0º 15º 30º 45º 60º 75º 90º 180º)

Overall track length:

130 m (each track)

(Extendable to a combined maximum length of 260 m)

Maximum hauling speed:

80 km/h (2 vehicles simultaneously)