69. The Chair of GRSG reported on the results of the 126th session of GRSG (for details, see the report in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRSG/105).

70. GRSG adopted amendments to four UN Regulations Nos 46, 55, 158 and 167 and established a new UN Regulation on EDR for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDV).

71. GRSG agreed to establish a Task Force (TF) on UN Regulation No. 107 (M2 and M3 vehicles) to improve design of buses and coaches to improve accessibility of passengers with restricted mobility.

72. GRSG expressed support for the proposal from the International Association of the Body and Trailer Building Industry (CLCCR) of assisting driven axles on trailers. GRSG expected coordination between the different working groups to introduce type approvals for this new type of trailer. WP.29 agreed that a coordinating activity among its subsidiary bodies should be planned as soon as revised proposals addressing all UN Regulations concerned would be submitted from the expert of CLCCR. The representative of OICA noted that, while the concept seems fully acceptable, the relationship between towing and towed vehicle needs to be addressed to ensure compatibility between both.

73. GRSG agreed to resume considerations on the categorization of automated vehicles and amendments on priority UN Regulations (UN Regulations Nos. 43, 107, 160, and R.E.3 and S.R.1) based on the follow-up of the meeting of TF on Automated Vehicles Regulatory Screening (AVRS) representatives.

74. On three-dimensional H point machine GRSG agreed that TF would prepare amendments proposals for the March 2024 session of GRSG to UN Regulations Nos. 35, 43, 46, 125, 166 and 167 and UN GTR No. 6 in the remit of GRSG which would move the references from R.E.3 and from the text of the UN GTR No. 6 to M.R.1. It was also agreed that the authorization to develop the amendments to UN GTRs Nos. 6, 7 and 14 would be coordinated with GRSP to be submitted at the March 2024 session of the Executive Committee of the 1998 Agreement (AC.3). The World Forum endorsed this approach. The representative of the Netherlands confirmed that his country would sponsor this activity, involving GRSP and GRSG, and would provide the above-mentioned request for authorization at the March 2024 session of AC.3.

75. GRSG agreed that its work would have indirect rather than direct contributions to the strategy of Inland Transport Committee (ITC) climate change strategy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in inland transport. Therefore, GRSG agreed that the protection of children in buses, and cyclists through UN Regulations under its remit, would encourage the shift to green mobility and public transport and that the strategy rather than limit, should enable people to travel. Moreover, it was specified that its contribution will also entail e-axles, radiant warmers, use alternative fuels with low-carbon emissions and use of a camera instead of large mirrors to reduce aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption.

76. Concerning Event Data Recorder (EDR) / Data Storage system for Automated Driving Vehicles (DSSAD), GRSG adopted the proposal of new UN Regulation concerning the Approval of Event Data Recorders for Heavy-Duty Vehicles and requested the secretariat to submit it to the November 2023 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1, superseding the proposal previously submitted. However, Canada and United States of America expressed their concerns.

77. The representative from the Republic of Korea supported the planned adoption of the UN Regulation. He stated that his country had been continuously working on this subject and its challenging issues (i.e. triggering and distance) and that currently was working on assessing and triggering unintended acceleration that could cause accidents. He added that the Republic of Korea supported the activity related to Acceleration Control for Pedal Error (ACPE) from the view point of avoiding accidents caused by unintended acceleration.

78. The representative from Canada agreed with the challenges mentioned by the expert from Korea, noting that the triggering points for HDV EDR are particularly difficult. He stated that for these reasons, more maturity on this subject was needed prior to the establishment of a UN GTR and thus a guidance document instead was more fitting at this stage. He also encouraged contracting parties to share the real-world data on HDV EDRs to help in the development of the UN GTR.

79. The representative from the United States of America agreed with the representative from Canada and added that experts from her country had spent significant resources and time providing expert advice to the IWG. She added that the elimination from the scope of vehicles of 8,000 kg and above was a concern as this could potentially exclude HDVs from the North American market in the European market. This action might potentially. create a trade barrier which was not acceptable for other countries outside the scope of this UN Regulation.

80. The WP.29 Chair, clarified that the UN Regulation was not excluding the above-mentioned vehicles but requesting additional provisions to demonstrate equivalence to lighter vehicles.

81. The representative of the European Union congratulated IWG for their hard work and expressed his support for the new UN Regulation.

82. GRSG finalized the screening of the full list of UN Regulations under its responsibility concerning the use of UI and agreed to submit a document to the IWG DETA as its position on this subject.

83. GRSG unanimously elected Mr. A. Erario (Italy) as Chair and Mr. K. Hendershot (Canada) as Vice-Chair by acclamation for the GRSG sessions scheduled for 2024.