The two latest models of the Škoda Auto range crashed into each other on Tuesday 7 September 2010 during a crash test at the polygon in Úhelnice u Mladé Boleslavi in front of more than a hundred Czech and foreign reporters, photographers and television camera lenses, as a part of a Safety Day event to document the great safety standard of Škoda cars.

The crash test simulated a real situation where one of the drivers was travelling outside a municipality at a speed of 90km/h and suddenly crossed over to the wrong side of the road. The driver of the oncoming vehicle tried to prevent an accident by braking intensively and came to a complete stop by the side of the road, but a collision occurred despite this.

Recording equipment in the luggage space of both cars recorded data about the cars themselves, in addition to the values of the stress placed on the dummies. In contrast to laboratory tests, the oncoming Škoda Yeti was powered by its engine. The driver function, and therefore achieving the target speed of 90km/h and maintaining the correct direction, was ensured by an ECV electronic drive system.


We return to the successful event in a few photographs:

Domestic and foreign car reporters watched the last preparations of the Yeti before the start of the crash test on a huge screen and awaited with tension to see how the frontal impact of the two latest Škoda models would end up.		A last check on the preparation of sensitive measuring technology was also performed on the Superb Combi, and a few minutes later a black Yeti travelling at 90km/h crashed into the left half of its front.
Moment of impact – in addition to the equipment in the cars the impact was also captured by high-speed cameras located around the place of the accident. Their shots later facilitate work by technicians assessing the behaviour of cars and various components during an accident.		Immediately after the accident, firemen went to the cars first. They made the surrounding area safe with absorbent materials and dealt with the danger resulting from any leakage of operating fluids from both cars. However, there was a minimum of them in this case.
After the firemen, the Traffic Safety Research team’s call-out vehicle arrives and its members briefly demonstrate to media representatives their activities at the place of an accident. They document and record all facts important for determining the causes and consequences of an accident.		Finally, the point of impact belongs to the media. Car reporters, photographers and television crews surround both cars and try to get as many shots of the cars themselves and the dummies that are their occupants.
The television crews included one from the car magazine programme Autosalon, broadcast every Saturday morning on TV Prima, which prepared a report from the crash test for one of the following shows.The commentary was recorded by the well-known host and journalist Zbyněk Merunka.		The crash test’s result was assessed by the head of the Safety and Car Testing Department at Škoda Auto, Ing. Kraus. According to him, the excellent standard of safety in Škoda cars was confirmed. All the energy from the impact was absorbed by the front of the cars, the cabins and the space for the occupants remained quite undamaged.”
The Safety Day event also included workshops linked to samples of activities concerning the safety of Škoda cars, focused on research, development, prevention and test driving.One of the stations was examined with interest by the new head of communications at Škoda Auto, Peik von Bestenbostel.		The maximum care that designers at Škoda Auto take with the development of body safety elements, thanks to which Škoda cars permanently have the highest safety standard, was demonstrated at the Safety Day by the Škoda Roomster.
In the Superb Combi and the moving Yeti there were dummies on the front seats representing two adults. The coloured targets on their faces serve to identify the places where the dummies hit elements of the interior.		The dummies on the rear seats represented two children aged six and three (Superb) and three and one and a half (Yeti). All the “small passengers” were fastened in retaining systems that are part of the Škoda accessories range.