Document submitted to the UN Road Safety Forum (WP.1) describing and analyzing the role of the driver in a vehicle with a more advanced level of automation.
89. The World Forum was informed by the secretariat of the Working Party on Road Safety (WP.1) about its work progress. She recalled her previous update on the status of proposal amendments related to Articles 8 and 39 of the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic. She added that the Secretary-General of the United Nations had issued a depositary notification on 23 September 2014 and that, if no objection was raised by the Contracting Parties, the proposed amendment would enter into force in the spring 2016. She reported that, at its upcoming seventieth session, WP.1 would resume consideration on amendment proposals related to lights and light-signalling (Chapter II of Annex 5 to 1968 Vienna Convention) and that as part of this discussion, WP.1 would also consider new proposals from IMMA and Laser Europe.
90. In response to questions, the secretariat of WP.1 clarified that Contracting Parties have 12 months to reject the amendments or propose a conference to discuss the issue. She added that if no more than 1/3 of the Contraction Parties object during the 12-month period, the amendment would come into force after a further six-month period. She noted that so far she was not aware of any objections, but that this information was with Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), who would report in due course. She also clarified that there was an item in the agenda of the next session of WP.1 to discuss steps to go even further in allowing automated driving (WP.1 Informal document No. 2).