32. The expert from the European Commission, Co-Chair of the GRSG IWG on awareness of Vulnerable Road Users proximity in low speed manoeuvres (VRU-Proxi), presented a proposal for the revised Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure of the IWG, for the purpose of facilitating the completion of additional work within the IWG concerning a draft regulatory proposal on driver’s visibility and system detection of VRUs.

33. The expert from OICA expressed concern that it would be challenging to meet the deadlines envisaged within the work of the IWG addressing Direct Vision. She also stated that there were opposing views within the IWG on approaches for Direct Vision. She emphasised that OICA urged GRSG to request that the IWG on VRU-Proxi make a transparent communication on the consequences of the proposed technical requirements on the future vehicle fleets. She invited the contracting parties members of GRSG to attend the meetings of the IWG on VRU-Proxi, or alternatively to provide guidance, and called on the Contracting Parties, members of GRSG, to clarify their positions about the proposed technical requirements for the 122nd session of GRSG in October 2021 (GRSG-121-40).

34. The expert from the European Commission, Co-Chair of the GRSG IWG on VRU-Proxi informed GRSG that the IWG was still discussing threshold values for N category vehicles concerning how far in front of or to the side of the cab of a truck should pedestrians be directly visible to the driver. He added that those threshold values were very important because a decision on those may impact the core design of cabs of the trucks. He added that the test protocol in this respect had also not been finalized yet. The expert urged Contracting Parties to provide their views on the matter of thresholds and blind spots and participate in the work of the IWG. He announced that the IWG would prepare a state of play, to be presented at the next meeting of GRSG, including on what the test protocol is and what the effects of different thresholds are.

35. The expert from Germany stated that not all CPs had decided preferred threshold values. He added that it was too early for Germany to decide on threshold values because the test procedure had not been defined, as a result of which acceptable limits at the front and the side of the vehicle to detect a pedestrian could not be evaluated.

36. The Chair of GRSG emphasized that the IWG on VRU-Proxi should consider the consequence when proposing amendments to technical requirements. The IWG should reflect on possible solutions, to redesign the cabin, or to use technology that would help remove blind spots and have a situation that would require fewer changes to the cabin but more changes in the technology. He asked the IWG to provide possible alternatives, and urged Contracting Parties to actively participate and provide their inputs to the work of the IWG.

37. The expert from the European Commission, Co-Chair of the GRSG IWG on VRU-Proxi stated that the next meeting (18th) of the IWG on VRU-Proxi would be a two-day session, on 26 and 28 April 2021. He invited OICA to state their position at the meeting of the IWG. He also invited all CPs to take part in the meeting.

38. Following detailed technical discussions and comments from France, Germany, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the European Commission and OICA, GRSG invited Contracting Parties to actively participate in the work of the IWG on VRU-Proxi, and adopted GRSG-121-11, the revised Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedures for the IWG on VRU-Proxi (Annex IV).