In many Mobile homes Rear bench seats with wooden frames are standard. But compared to benches with a metal frame, they cause a significantly higher risk of injury.
In order to offer passengers more safety in crash situations, the recommends ADAC the installation of stable rear seats in mobile homes. The background to the requirement is a comparison of different rear seat bench constructions for campers in a simulated head-on collision. While the benches with wooden frames installed as standard in many motorhome models reveal a high safety risk, the benches based on metal frames have a significantly lower risk of injury.
Metal safer than wood for campers
The ADAC was able to demonstrate the increased injury potential of the standard solution in 2020 in a test bench frontal crash between a motorhome and a car in which the wooden frame-based rear bench of a camper collapsed. On a test sled, the automobile club has now tested a retrofit bench for individual mobile home extensions and a base frame to complete with upholstery. In both cases, the frames were made of metal instead of wood, which is why the passengers were securely restrained by the belts and their heads were not thrown so far forward in the event of an impact. The risk of serious injuries to the head and organs was therefore significantly lower than in the previous year's test.
The ADAC therefore calls on motorhome manufacturers to make the sturdy frame for bench seats the standard. In addition, the club calls for headrests and Isofix anchors as well as seating surfaces that rise to the front for back seats.