23. The Chair of the informal working group on QRTV reported on the conclusions of the last meeting of the informal working group held in Geneva on 6-7 February 2012 and announced that his group’s mandate expired. He introduced the final report of the informal working group including the findings and recommendations with regard to the future development of a UN GTR that would specify the applicability and performance of an Audible Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS). He underlined how audibility requires, inter alia, an alerting signal that contains frequencies different from those of most common ambient noise in order to avoid masking effects. In fact, he added that audibility of QRTV for visually impaired people was critical even in a quiet environment. GRB experts noted some comments. GRB agreed on some amendments to the report of the informal working group that were introduced in its final version (GRB-55-14).

24. GRB agreed to resume discussion of this agenda item at its September 2012 session, and requested the secretariat to distribute GRB-55-14 with an official symbol, awaiting the outcome of the informal working group on QRTV.