MPDB Frontal Barrier

The Mobile Progressive Deformable Barrier (MPDB) is used for the assessment of motor vehicle protection in frontal impact collision according to the Euro NCAP 2020 Protocol. The MPDB crash test replicates a collision with another vehicle where 50% of the test vehicle makes a head-on collision with the 1400kg moving trolley, mounted with the aluminium deformable barrier at an impact speed of 50km/h for both the vehicle and the trolley.

The MPDB has a long history and started based on an ACEA and ADAC barrier. Development work was taken over by UTAC and barrier version ‘PDB XT’ was proposed in December 2007 as the new deformable barrier for ECE R94. Subsequently ADAC introduced some modifications making the barrier less tall, and continued testing with this barrier mounted onto a mobile trolley.

Euro NCAP have adopted the MPDB barrier and finalised the specification with some practical modifications for the 2020 test protocol, alongside adoption of the THOR-50M ATD as part of the test criteria.