The Task Force on Vehicular Communications held its thirteenth session on 23rd January 2026 in Geneva. Presentations on Vulnerable Road Users protection were delivered by Japan, China, and Car2Car, addressing VRU accident analysis, pilot projects, national standardization frameworks, and collective perception approaches. Common themes included sensor limitations, functional safety needs, and harmonized communication standards. The Task Force agreed to continue discussions at its next session.

China’s activities on vulnerable road user (VRU) applications include four protection scenarios: roadside infrastructure detection via direct communication; vehicle-based detection via sensor sharing; VRU-equipped V2X device direct communication; and cellular communication via cloud server. China developed national standards GB/T 44286.1-2024 and GB/T 44286.2-2024 specifying collision warning scenarios, and ITU SG21 requirements for VRU service using vehicle gateway. Demonstrations tested pedestrian and electric bicycle protection across Shanghai, Deqing, and Beijing. Key implementation challenges include sensor perception accuracy, direct communication device installation barriers and low penetration, and cloud construction responsibility allocation for cellular communication solutions.