Research Activities
Comprehensive approach to motor vehicle issues
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The Department is the only organization in Japan that certifies new vehicles’ compliance with regulations from a neutral and fair standpoint under the Automobile Type Approval System.
Through the implementation of thorough type approval test, prevents the production and circulation of non-compliant vehicles, ensures public safety and security, and contributes to environmental preservation.
By improving its technological capabilities, the Department actively responds to increasingly sophisticated and complex automotive technologies as well as to new international frameworks surrounding motor vehicles.
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To ensure greater safety and security for automobile users, the Department verifies technical issues, especially whether the causes of defects are in the design or manufacturing process and contributes to make recalls promptly and thoroughly.
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The Environmental Research Department contributes to fighting environmental pollution by conducting research to assist the development of vehicle regulations and improve testing methods to help solve various environmental issues and respond to increasingly sophisticated and complex environmental regulations and technologies.
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The Automotive Safety Research Department contributes to the realization of a safe and secure society by reducing safety risks in vehicle traffic through the development of future safety regulations and technical evaluation methods in response to increasingly sophisticated and complex new technologies, such as automated driving systems, and research on motor vehicle safety from the perspective of drivers and pedestrians.
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With the recent development of information and telecommunications technology, vehicle systems have become highly digital , connected vehicles are spreading, and the use of such functions is progressing, making cybersecurity a critical issue. We conduct broad research on a range of such ICT issues, from both aspects of safety and the environment.
Efforts to Ensure International Cooperation
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To support the Japanese government’s efforts, the NTSEL joins a variety of meetings organized under UN-ECE/WP29 and actively proposes regulations and test procedures making best use of the results of its studies and type approval tests, and based on Japanese advanced automobile technology.
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In 2012, the Railway Certification Center was accredited as the first Japanese certification body in railway sector for conformity with international standards.
Through the certification activities based on ISO/IEC 17065 for conformity assessment, the Department contributes to international deployment of railway products and technologies.
Initiatives for Local Transport, etc.
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To help ensure the safety, security, and stable operation of railways, light rail transits (LRTs), and other transportation systems, the Department explores cost-effective and safe accident prevention solutions, conducting technical assessments of new systems and vehicles in view of domestic and international trends. The Department also tackles issues surrounding the overall safety and environment of land transportation, by evaluating the benefits and environmental implications of introducing public transportation optimized to the local situation.