Review of the initial set of ADS Phase 2 work items and their integration into an ADS2 IWG plan for 2026-2028.

Document identifies technical and drafting issues in UN R157 and its Global Technical Regulation equivalent requiring clarification or correction. Issues include:

• Definition of ‘Critical Occurrence’ using logically inconsistent language,
• Undefined terms like ‘area of operation’,
• Absence of provisions for reactivation after fault clearance,
• Incorrect cross-references between paragraphs,
• Non-standard citations such as ‘ISO 9001 Automotive’,
• Terminology inconsistencies between ‘alternative format’ and ‘alternative data’,
• Unclear assessment pathways for user information requirements,
• Inappropriate use of ‘demonstrate’ by approval authorities,
• Limited confidentiality scope,
• Misaligned section headings,
• Omission of 7.3.3 from safety case references,
• Interaction issues between reportable occurrence thresholds and systemic categories,
• Conflicting damage-area taxonomies between templates,
• Missing template rows,
• Undefined units and computations,
• Delta-V criterion applicability to L-category vehicles,
• Definition inconsistencies regarding vulnerable road user secondary safety systems,
• Out-of-scope self-certification references,
• Unspecified regulatory references for data retrievability,
• Missing remote termination recording,
• Inconsistent British versus American English spelling variants.

Calendar of planned meetings and activities for 2027.

NHTSA announced activity to update voluntary guidance on automated driving systems. A Federal Register Notice published July 31, 2026 opened a docket to solicit comment on proposed topics for guidance development. NHTSA intends to release draft guidance documents on individual topics as chapters and consolidate them into a final updated guidance document. The public comment period is scheduled to close July 31, 2027 and may be extended. Potential chapters address Emergency Responder Interactions, Safety Management System, Remote Assistance and Operational Oversight, Safety Case, Adherence to Multi-Jurisdictional Laws, Work Zone Operations, ADS System Capabilities and Behavioral Competencies, Verification and Validation with Advanced Testing Methodologies, Considerations for Driverless Deployment, Crashworthiness, Post-Crash Behavior, Human Machine Interface, Accessible Design, Data Monitoring Capture Reporting and Governance, and Maintenance Fleet Operations Continuous Safety Monitoring and Post-Deployment Enhancement.

Agenda for the 22nd ADS informal working group session and the 20th GRVA Workshop on ADS, held 6-9 October 2026 in Sydney, Australia. Day 1 covers welcome, agenda adoption, status of work, GRVA highlights, Guidance and Interpretation Document, ADS Phase 2 context, and review of Phase 2 programme proposals. Day 2 addresses refinement of Phase 2 tasks, Australia’s proposed framework, allocation of work items, and integration into 2026-2029 strategy. Day 3 includes ADS2 schedule, coordination with other groups, and GTR, UNR, and GID change requests. Day 4 covers next steps and first ADS2 IWG session logistics for December in The Hague.