Crash Testing of Special Vehicles Course
300-hour online course in crash testing of special vehicles. 6 modules covering UNECE Regulation No. 66 (strength of bus superstructures), UNECE Regulation No. 29 (occupant protection in commercial vehicle cabs) and LS-DYNA. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Crash Testing of Special Vehicles Course — studying from South Africa
Mining, agriculture and construction make off-road and specialised machinery central to South Africa's economy. Mining equipment manufacturers and service providers support the country's extensive gold, platinum and coal operations, while agricultural machinery serves commercial farming. Engineers working on heavy vehicles and special machines focus on hydraulics, drivetrains and durability under harsh conditions. The South African Bureau of Standards and the Mine Health and Safety Council set relevant standards and safety requirements.
Fees for South Africa: R 14 900 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Will a SEIUM qualification be recognised by the professional bodies in South Africa for this area?
SEIUM qualifications are private and not accredited by any South African body. Engineering registration is handled by ECSA, and machinery safety standards are linked to SABS and the Department of Employment and Labour's regulations. Recognition of a private qualification is decided by employers or the relevant body, so confirm this with them before you enrol.
How might this qualification be used by employers in South Africa in off-road and special vehicles?
Mining, agriculture, construction and vehicle-conversion firms value practical machinery knowledge and proven problem-solving. A private qualification can support your application, especially with hands-on experience, but it carries no official status. Its weight depends on each employer, so ask potential employers in your field how they would view it.
Can I study this programme alongside full-time work from South Africa, and is there a time zone or language issue?
The programme is 100% online and in English, so you can study from home without a student visa. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Check time-zone and workload expectations with SEIUM directly.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Identify occupant protection requirements for special vehicles.
Apply biomechanical injury criteria in safety assessment.
Plan impact, sled and rollover tests with their instrumentation.
Build crash simulation models and correlate them with test results.
Size the restraint of equipment and loads against crash decelerations.
Prepare the certification documentation for a special vehicle.
Propose passive safety improvements for a bodied vehicle.
Who it's for
- Passive safety engineer seeking to specialise in Crash Testing of Special Vehicles.
- Crash simulation engineer seeking to specialise in Crash Testing of Special Vehicles.
- Impact test laboratory technician seeking to specialise in Crash Testing of Special Vehicles.
- Special vehicle homologation engineer seeking to specialise in Crash Testing of Special Vehicles.
- Bodywork engineer seeking to specialise in Crash Testing of Special Vehicles.
- Technical manager of a bodybuilder seeking to specialise in Crash Testing of Special Vehicles.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter special vehicle bodybuilding companies.
What you'll work with
- UNECE Regulation No. 66 (strength of bus superstructures)
- UNECE Regulation No. 29 (occupant protection in commercial vehicle cabs)
- UNECE Regulation No. 14 (safety belt anchorages)
- UNECE Regulation No. 80 (seats of large passenger vehicles)
- ISO 6487 (instrumentation in impact tests)
- EN 1789 (ambulances and their equipment)
- EN 12195-1 (load restraint on road vehicles)
- ISO 27956 (load restraint in vans)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1What is meant by a special or purpose-built vehicle1.2Ambulances, service vehicles and bodied vehicles1.3Heavy and industrial-use vehicles1.4Homologation framework applicable to each case1.5Small-series vehicles and individual approval1.6Obligations of the bodybuilder and the converter1.7Occupant and load protection1.8Added elements and their anchorage1.9Vehicle documentation and file1.10Workshop: identifying requirements for a bodied vehicle
2.1Injury mechanisms in an impact2.2Accelerations, pulses and duration2.3Anthropomorphic test devices and their instrumentation2.4Head, chest and neck injury criteria2.5Restraint systems and their function2.6Effect of the bodywork’s additional weight2.7Occupants in non-conventional positions2.8Protection of personnel travelling in the compartment2.9Limits of the criteria applied2.10Practice: interpreting test curves
3.1Full vehicle test versus sled test3.2Design of the deceleration pulse3.3Installation of the equipment and the test device3.4Instrumentation: accelerometers and load cells3.5High-speed cameras and image analysis3.6Repeatability and control of conditions3.7Testing of seat and stretcher anchorages3.8Testing of load and equipment restraint3.9Acceptance and rejection criteria3.10Practice: sled test plan
4.1Finite element modelling of the bodywork4.2Material and joint models4.3Test device models and their validity4.4Simulation of the pulse and environment4.5Correlation between simulation and test4.6Using simulation for preliminary sizing4.7Reducing the number of physical tests4.8Bodywork variants and revalidation4.9Calculation documentation4.10Practice: comparing simulated and tested results
5.1Inertial forces under braking and in impact5.2Calculation of anchorages and reinforcements5.3Restraint of medical and other equipment5.4Cabinets, drawers and secure closures5.5Projectable elements in the cabin5.6Testing of components and assemblies5.7Standards applicable to restraint5.8Verification in the finished vehicle5.9Operating instructions for personnel5.10Practice: calculating the anchorage of a piece of equipment
6.1Test reports and their content6.2Technical services and laboratories6.3Homologation of the converted vehicle6.4Marking, plates and documentation6.5Market surveillance and recall campaigns6.6Responsibility of the bodybuilder and the base manufacturer6.7Cost and timescales of the validation process6.8Common errors in converted vehicles6.9Managing design changes6.10Final project: validation plan for a special vehicle
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetable: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is LS-DYNA, ESI Virtual Performance Solution (PAM-CRASH), MADYMO, NI DIAdem, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real sled test procedures with anchorages and seats, rollover tests of superstructures, and correlation between physical testing and simulation. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Identify occupant protection requirements for special vehicles.
Apply biomechanical injury criteria in safety assessment.
Plan impact, sled and rollover tests with their instrumentation.
Build crash simulation models and correlate them with test results.
Size the restraint of equipment and loads against crash decelerations.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme’s software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory reading.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
You work with LS-DYNA, ESI Virtual Performance Solution (PAM-CRASH), MADYMO, NI DIAdem. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An own diploma from SEIUM on passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Please check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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