World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations | Session 187 | 20-24 Jun 2022
Geneva
Agenda Item 3.6.3.
Working Party on Passive Safety (GRSP) (Seventy-first session, 9-13 May 2022)

67. The Chair of GRSP reported on the results of the seventy-first session of GRSP (for details, see the report in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSP/71), which took place virtually on May 9-13, 2022.

68. On UN GTR 9 (Pedestrian safety) GRSP agreed to seek endorsement of WP.29 at its June 2022 session to extend the mandate of the UN GTR 9 IWG on Deployable Pedestrian Protection Systems until November 2023.

69. WP.29 endorsed in principle the request of the Chair of GRSP pending decision of AC.3 (see para. 205).

70. GRSP agreed that GRSP Chair would seek guidance at the WP.29 June 2022 session, concerning the acceptance of type-approvals to the preceding series of amendments (singular or plural) to be mentioned in transitional provisions of UN Regulations in general. WP.29 noted that this issue would regard all UN Regulations annexed to the 1958 Agreement. Therefore, the World Forum requested the IWG on IWVTA to devise a solution at its next meetings.

71. GRSP also adopted a calculator solely for the purpose of helping to calculate the minimum stature height (without any mandatory legal basis) as prescribed by the adopted Supplement, and therefore this calculator would not be submitted to WP.29 and AC.1 for adoption. Moreover, it was agreed to create a new webpage under “reference material” on the website of WP.29 to allocate it. WP.29 endorsed the approach of GRSP.

72. GRSP endorsed the approach of the ad-hoc group to continue to review existing and pending research and share ongoing research findings addressing safety diversity concerning gender, stature and mass of all occupants in recognition of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 16, in particular. GRSP agreed to seeking guidance of WP.29 at its June 2022 session on the possible cooperation with UNECE/Trade WP.6 – Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies (UNECE Trade Division) on developing gender responsive standards as requested by the expert from WP.6.

73. WP.29 confirmed that GRSP is the proper subsidiary regulatory body for passive safety vehicle provisions. This work included inter-alia verifying the merit of the claim of the expert from WP.6 but also addressing safety diversity concerning stature and mass of all occupants and reach a conclusion on this issue. Therefore, WP.29 concluded that such request of cooperation was premature.

74. On the safety of children in buses and coaches, at the request of the Chair of the IWG, GRSP agreed to seek endorsement of WP.29 at its June 2022 session to extend the mandate of the IWG until March 2024. WP.29 endorsed the extension of the mandate.

75. Referring to the request of WP.29, a majority of GRSP experts agreed to establish a task force coordinated by Germany and with the secretarial task assigned to OICA to start in Autumn 2022 a screening of UN Regulations and UN GTRs (under its responsibility) of relevance which were linked to drivers, to accommodate for autonomous driving.

76. GRSP agreed to closely follow discussions and follow-up from GRBP and GRE on the subject of children left in cars and stand ready to coordinate efforts (e.g. IWG or TF) involving experts of these working parties if requested by WP.29. As a follow-up of the suggestions of the representatives of the United States of America and Canada, WP.29 agreed to request GRSP to gather information and statistic on global extent as a first step to then identify the working group to develop a technical solution.

Documentation
GRSP/71 Report of GRSP on its 71st (May 2022) session