Let me add a personal experience to the discussion....

I was asked by a manufacturer of a head restraint system to take delivery of said system and deliver it to the Delphi testing lab. I was asked to do this because I am about 30 minutes from the lab and the manufacturer was unable to be there(it was NONE of the systems being discussed here).

After arriving at Delphi, the technicians there took it form me and proceeded to attach it to the dummy on the sled. They related to me that, because they conduct these tests on a regular basis and are most familiar with the equipment, they would handle it thank you very much. I was able to watch them attach it to the dummy and then watch the test conducted. After the test, the system was put back in the box I brought it in and handed back to me.

As I read all the comments and discussion of how these things are tested, who might be able to have an impact on how the test is conducted, who might be able to do something funny to skew the test, or any other nefarious thing, that voice in the back of my head keeps saying "that isn't possible, the testing lab would never allow that to happen."

I also had the opportunity to hear some conversations of un-named major players in that room that gave me some insight as to why some things are the way they are. I must say it was a most informative day.