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In scope: occupant cell space requirements, seat geometry regulations, forward and sidewards vision, structural chassis clearance from occupants

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2.11.6 The solar car body and occupant cell must be designed so that parts, such as the solar collector, cannot detach and injure occupants.


2.12 Seats

2.12.1  Cruiser solar cars must be designed to carry more than one occupant.

2.12.2  Each solar car occupant must have a seat that faces forward at an angle less than 10°, about a vertical axis, from the forward direction of travel.

2.12.3  Each seat must have a back and a head restraint. Each head restraint must be entirely behind the occupant’s head. The distance from the hip point to the top of the head restraint must be at least 800 mm for front seats and at least 750 mm for rear seats (UNECE Regulations 17 and 25). The hip point may be approximated as shown in the diagram below.

2.12.4  Each occupant’s heels must be below their hip point.
2.12.5  The angle between each occupant’s shoulders, hips and knees must be more than 90°.
2.12.6  No more than four solar car seats may be occupied while driving.


2.13 Occupant space

2.13.1 Occupant space for each seat must comply with Section LK of the Australian National Code of Practice for Light Vehicle Construction and Modification, as shown in the following diagram. The 835mm radius arm must be able to move 45° forwards, 25° backwards and 7° either side of vertical. The solar car structure, including the windscreen, must lie wholly outside the occupant space. The steering wheel, mirrors, seat backs and head restraints may be inside the occupant space, but must be designed to minimise the risk of injury in a crash.

This minimum occupant space requirement is based on a 50-percentile male and does not allow for a helmet. Taller team members may need more occupant space.


2.17 Forward and sideward vision

2.17.1 Each driver, when seated in the normal driving position with safety-belt and helmet on, must be able to identify 75 mm high letters at every point of forward travel that is:

  • 4m from the driver’s eyes, and

  • between 0.4m below eye level and 0.7m above eye level, and

  • between 100° left and 100° right of the direction of travel.

    1. 2.17.2  Forward and sideward vision must be achieved without the aid of mirrors, lenses or electronic vision systems.

    2. 2.17.3  The windscreen that is used for forward and sidewards vision must have an optical transmittance more than 75%.

    3. 2.17.4  Traffic light colours must be discernible through the windscreen.

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