Transport

A reverse warning sound is widely used to ensure safety of people around medium- and heavy-duty vehicles above 3.5 tonnes. However, until now, there has been no worldwide harmonized regulation for audible reverse warning. To reduce the risk of accidents with reversing vehicles, on the one hand, and complaints about their noisiness, on the other, a regulation for reverse warning sound has become necessary.

A new milestone in mobility has been reached with the adoption of a proposal to extend automated driving in certain traffic environments from the current limit of 60 km/h to up to 130 km/h.

Good winter tyres are indispensable for driving safely on snowy or icy roads, and many countries impose specific winter tyre requirements. These vary from country to country, but usually define winter tyres as those identified with special markings. The entry-level winter tyres are marked M+S (Mud plus Snow). Advanced winter tyres for use in severe snow conditions are marked with an alpine symbol or Three Peak Mountain SnowFlake (3PMSF):

The 75th anniversary session of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) concluded at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), after a week of forward progress in the fields of inland transport connectivity, road safety, accessibility, and sustainability. 

Among the week’s accomplishments was a ministerial resolution on “Ushering in a decade of delivery for sustainable inland transport and sustainable development”, signed by 41 Ministers and Heads of Delegations. 

Some 50 transport ministers and leaders from around the world joined delegates from over 90 countries for the 75th anniversary session of UNECE’s Inland Transport Committee (ITC) to celebrate its unique accomplishments and depict a picture of the Committee’s future.

The 8th Edition of the Global Road Safety Film Festival, to be held on 21-22 February 2022, will showcase the best films from among submissions from over 40 countries worldwide that highlight smart and safe mobility solutions to the road safety crisis.

The Festival’s focus on smart and safe mobility follows a global call over the last four months for short films – from professional video makers, interested individuals, civil society and government bodies – to promote awareness of how to make roads safer and fight the silent crisis of road deaths and injuries.

The number of accidents involving trucks and coaches on the road could soon be reduced with the extension of the use of Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS). Initially designed to improve safety on motorways, the scope of UN Regulation No. 131 will be widened to include other road contexts, including in urban areas.  

UN Regulation No. 131 was adopted in November 2012 and made compulsory in the European Union in 2013 for new trucks and coaches. AEBS was extended to cars with UN Regulation No. 152 adopted in February 2019, which will become compulsory in the EU in July 2022.