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Automated driving

 

    UNECE is driving progress on Autonomous Vehicles 

    See flyer here: PDF

    ADS at the United Nations in Geneva
    UNECE pillars relevant for Automated Driving
    UNECE's ITC offers the multilateral platform for negotiation of international legal instruments to address and the development of regulations and norms especially on:
    • Road traffic rules and road traffic safety
    • Vehicle certification
    UNECE's actions on vehicle automation
    • Policy dialogue,
    • Negotiation of international legal instruments,
    • Development of regulations and norms,
    • Exchange and application of best practices as well as economic and technical expertise.
    Stakeholders involved and partnerships

    UNECE contributes to the policy dialogue on Automated Driving Systems with all stakeholders incl. international organizations and NGOs and the exchange of best practices:

      • UNECE contributes to OECD/ITF activities (e.g. roundtable
      • UNECE co-organize, with ITU the annual Future Networked Cars events
      • SAE International is providing the secretariat of one informal working group


      UNECE liaises with all stakeholders having an interest in this work, the automotive, IT, Telecomms, insurance industries, the governments and REIOs, the consumer organisations as well as the international organisations such as OECD/ITF/CPB, ITU, G7 transport ministers etc.

      Initial achievements

      Since 2014, mainly two Working Parties worked on related legal instruments: WP.1 and WP.29.

      In 2016, two milestones were reached:

      • The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road traffic was amended to open the door to automated vehicles in traffic
      • The 10 km/h limitation for autonomous systems was removed from UN Regulation No. 79 in given circumstances


      In 2018, WP.1 adopted the WP.1 Resolution on the Deployment of Highly and Fully Automated Vehicles in Road Traffic. WP.29 issued the requirements for the approval of Levels 1 and 2 technologies supporting the driver regarding lane keeping and also lane changes on motorways (see UN Regulation No. 79). 

      In 2020, WP.29 achieved a milestone with the adoption of the technical provisions for the approval of ALKS, the first application for automated driving, hanging over the driving task to a system. With such systems, driver could engage in other activities than driving but may be requested by the system to take back the control (Level 3). This achievements came together with the adoption of provisions for cyber security (and their management system CSMS) as well as provisions concerning software updates (incl. over the air) and their management system (See UN Regulations Nos. 155 and 156) 

      In 2021, WP.29 extended the scope of UN Regulation No. 157 to heavy vehicles.

      In 2022, WP.1 adopted the WP.1 resolution on safety considerations for activities other than driving undertaken by drivers when automated driving systems issuing transition demands exercise dynamic control. WP.29 extended UN Regulation No. 157 to cover high speeds (up to 130 km/h) and automated lane changes, building the basis for the approval of motorway automated pilots.