22. The Chair of GRVA introduced ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2023/44/Rev.1, an updated version of the “New Assessment/Test Method for Automated Driving (NATM) Guidelines for Validating Automated Driving System (ADS)”.

23. The representative of Australia asked about the follow up of these activities. The GRVA Chair replied that the current activities were part of a pre-regulatory phase, and that the current activity was focused on combining the deliverables of the Informal Working Group (IWG) on Functional Requirements for Automated Vehicles (FRAV) and the IWG on Validation Methods for Automated Driving (VMAD). He stated that a schedule including next steps would be developed until the first half of 2024.

24. WP.29 adopted the document ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2023/44/Rev.1.

25. The representative of France presented WP.29-190-23, introducing the report on screening UN Regulations and UN Global Technical Regulations (GTRs) regarding their fitness for Automated Driving Systems (ADS) (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2023/86), prepared by the Chair of GRVA TF on Fitness for ADS. He mentioned the recent technological advancements on automated driving and their potential impact on vehicle regulations. He recalled the mandate provided by WP.29 to review vehicles regulations on their fitness for ADS, the structure of the task forces in charge of performing this task, the timeframe allocated and the coordination mechanism involving the Chairs of the task forces. He presented the three objectives of the review:

1. the determination of the relevance of the vehicle regulations for ADS;
2. the readiness evaluation of the relevant vehicle regulations; and
3. the determination of the magnitude of changes needed for non-ready regulations.

He presented the overview of the review results. He highlighted the main recommendations in the report:

1. the need to develop vehicle subcategories for ADS;
2. the Operational Design Domain (ODD) impact on performance and testing provisions;
3. the need for a test mode for executing performance tests with automated vehicles; and
4. unknown policies related to the use of ADS including, among others, the transport of dangerous good and the expected ADS reaction to passengers unfastening their seatbelt.

He proposed that the established coordination of TFs would continue to provide coordination and invited GRs to start the work on amending the regulations.

26. The Chair of GRPE commented on the current review performed by the GRPE Task Force on Automated Vehicles Regulations Screening (AVRS) in delivering feedback because of the schedule of GRPE sessions and announced that this workstream would be completed soon.

27. The representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland welcomed the report and volunteered to support the production of amendment proposals to the vehicle regulations.

28. The Chair of GRVA noted the important effort made to deliver this report and stated that it was a good example of international cooperation among contracting parties and also among working parties. The representative of the Netherlands agreed.

29. The representative of the European Union noted the importance for this work both for type approval and self-certification regimes. He recalled the industry request for a certification system for ADS safety in 2025 and inquired about the envisaged deadlines for this important workstream, in particular in relation to the drafting of amendments.

30. The representative of the United States of America noted the completion of the initial phase envisaged for the review of vehicle regulations on their fitness for ADS. He noted paras. 44 and 45 of report and inquired on the envisaged structure of the second phase as proposed, considering the workplan of the IWG on FRAV.

31. The representative of OICA expressed the importance of progressing on three workstreams: the FRAV/VMAD combined deliverable, the vehicle regulation amendment work and the new vehicle subcategory definitions for ADS.

32. WP.29 adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2023/86. WP.29 agreed that the established coordination of TFs would continue to provide coordination and invited GRs to start the work on amending the regulations, taking into account the activities of the IWGs on VMAD and FRAV (especially WP.29-190-08, as potentially amended during next sessions). WP.29 also requested the GRs to present a timeline for amending the remaining relevant regulations at the WP.29 session in March 2024.

35. The Chair of GRVA presented WP.29-190-08, including the recent updates to the Guidelines for Regulatory Requirements and Verifiable Criteria for Automated Driving System Safety Validation. WP.29 endorsed this document.

24. The expert from Japan, Co-Chair of the IWG on VMAD, presented GRVA-16-38 with a brief overview of deliverables until the WP.29 session in June 2024 and the two pillars of the work performed by the Group, one related to the four subgroups activities and the second related to the collaboration with the IWG on FRAV. He briefly introduced GRVA-16-39, containing updates to ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2023/44, and therefore aimed to be tabled for consideration by WP.29 at its June 2023 session.

25. The expert from Sweden noted the late submission of GRVA-16-39 and inquired about the implication of the submission to WP.29. The Chair clarified that there would be no formal vote on that document at the June 2023 session of WP.29.

26. The expert from OICA pointed out that the ISMR provisions would require extensive reporting. She suggested to revisit this item to keep the of amount of data transmitted to a reasonable level and also to limit or avoid the overlap with the Data Storage Systems for Automated Driving (DSSAD) provisions. She added that vehicle manufacturers did not have access to all data listed in the current draft. She mentioned, as an illustrative example, that rather than the manufacturers, emergency responders had data on the number of victims and injured persons in case of road crashes.

27. The expert from Canada, Co-Chair of the Group, justified the potential big amount of data required by the fact that consumers expect certainty and that various jurisdictions also request data for their purposes. He noted that the identification of the entities that should receive the data was still an open question.

28. The expert from ITU pointed out that the FRAV and VMAD groups should explicitly specify to whom are addressed their recommendations on data transmission.

29. The expert from the European Commission clarified that various stakeholders would indeed be involved in reporting. She noted that this was already the case in aviation and that it was a good practice for safety management. She suggested that the mandate of VMAD was extended with this regard and recalled that the VMAD Subgroup 3 was liaising with the DSSAD group on this topic.

30. GRVA endorsed the work prepared by the Group reflected in GRVA-16-39 updating ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2022/58, the New Assessment/Test Method for Automated Driving Guidelines for Validating ADS. GRVA requested the secretariat to submit GRVA 16-39 to WP.29 for consideration at the June 2023 session.

31. GRVA discussed the FRAV/VMAD integration work. It was clarified that one integration group would perform three tasks on definitions, structure and matrix during autumn 2023.

16. The representative of the United States of America, Co-Chair of the IWG on Functional Requirements for Automated and Autonomous Vehicles (FRAV), introduced WP.29-191-07. He informed WP.29 that this document included an update on the User-Interaction/Human-Machine-Interface (HMI) section , as promised, in WP.29-190-08 and thereby completed the deliverable of the Guidelines for Regulatory Requirements and Verifiable Criteria for ADS Safety Validation. The Chair of GRVA emphasised the importance of this amendment, which is also the basis for the User Interaction and HMI section in the draft DCAS regulation, currently in development.

17. WP.29 endorsed WP.29-191-07 and requested the secretariat to distribute with an official symbol at the March 2024 session of WP.29 for consideration.