Consolidated revision of the working document on guidance and interpretation document for GTR 26 and UN R185 on Automated Driving Systems (GRVA/2026/24). The document facilitates interpretation of ADS requirements when applied to particular ADS vehicles, provides guidance on evidence for requirements, and helps harmonize application across manufacturers and authorities. It addresses definitions, application for approval, approval procedures, ADS performance of the Dynamic Driving Task in nominal, critical, and failure situations, interactions between ADS and users, safety management systems, test environments, safety cases, and post-deployment safety monitoring.

Terms of reference and rules of procedure for the Workshop on ADS implementation, a subsidiary body of GRVA operating until November 2028. The workshop shall provide a platform for all matters of implementation of UN R185 and GTR 26 by Contracting Parties, with an aim of facilitating uniform implementation. The workshop shall gather diverse experts from Contracting Parties, NGOs and other stakeholders, collect and share information on implementation, report to GRVA in close relationship with the GRVA IWG on ADS2, and may submit proposals to the IWG on ADS2 for amendments. The workshop shall operate open to all WP.29 participants, with three co-Chairpersons elected from Contracting Parties representatives and a Secretary providing administrative support.

Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure for a second phase of work on GTR 26 and UN R185 (ADS2). The IWG shall keep under review the suitability of existing provisions in the Global Technical Regulation and UN Regulation on ADS, consider proposals for new provisions, submit draft regulatory proposals amending both regulations, maintain the Guidance and Interpretation Document, assume responsibility for Data Storage Systems for Automated Driving matters, and deliver draft proposals no later than the January 2029 session of GRVA. The IWG shall report to GRVA, be managed by six Co-Chairs from different regions, operate in English, reach decisions by consensus, and ensure regulatory proposals are performance based and technology neutral.

Status report to GRVA on the Automated Driving Systems informal working group. Reports progress since the 25th GRVA session in May 2026, including a meeting held in July in Brussels. Describes submissions including draft Terms of Reference for IWG on ADS2. Outlines planned activities: a joint IWG on ADS and workshop meeting 6–9 October 2026 in Sydney to finalize guidance for WP.29 in November 2026 and draft phase 2 programme of work; and an official kick-off IWG on ADS2 meeting 7–11 December 2026 in The Hague. Requests GRVA adoption of draft Terms of Reference for transmission to WP.29.

Status report on activities of the IWG on CS/OTA since the 25th GRVA session. The IWG reviewed proposals for amendment of UN R155 and its interpretation document for multi-stage vehicles, proposals for approval-authority arrangements and Certificates of Compliance for UN R155 and R156, proposals integrating software identification and update text across several UNRs outlined in RE.3, component and STU approval concepts, and remote operation and automated driving systems. The IWG proposes updating regulatory text and interpretation documents for UN R155, revisions to software identification and update text across several regulations, and revised Terms of Reference for a mandate till November 2029.

Status report on the ADS Workshop since the 25th GRVA, covering two meetings held in June and July 2026. Task 3 addressed interpretation and guidelines, with nearly 60 change requests discussed and concluded during the Brussels meeting. Four types of changes were needed to GRVA/2026/24: consolidation of approved changes, addition of GTR version references, revised number formatting, and editorial improvements. Two informal documents are provided for clarity: a clean revision (GRVA-26-09e) and a listing of substantive changes (GRVA-26-09a1e). The workshop seeks GRVA approval for submission to WP.29 in November 2026 for adoption in March 2027. The revision applies alphabetical headings aligned with ADS regulations structure, alphanumeric subheadings for explanations, and deletes consecutive numbering to avoid confusion with GTR and UN R185 paragraph numbers.

Wrap-up of the 21st ADS IWG and 19th GRVA Workshop on ADS Brussels session held 14-17 July 2026. The session discussed and accepted numerous proposals to amend the Guidance Implementation Document (GID) for GTR 26/UNR 185, including modifications to introductory text, safety risk management requirements, reporting provisions for various operational issues, and safety management system guidance. The session also discussed activities for ADS IWG Phase 2 (2026–2029), including remote assistance, ODD description, external HMI, feature activation and deactivation, connectivity, software parameter adaptation, ADS/ADAS transition, DSSAD, ISMR, leading metrics, safety case, text improvement, implementation, system updates, MRC, priority vehicles, STU, and end-to-end technologies.

Proposal to amend, delete, and insert various provisions throughout a Guidance and Interpretation document on GTR 26 and UN R185 on Automated Driving Systems. The document supplements the proposal to supersede GRVA/2026/24 by providing the changes to the draft text separately from the restructuring and additions of GTR 26 references.

Proposal to insert a new definition of functional test configuration, amend para. 2.1.1.2. to clarify that test conditions are agreed between manufacturer and technical service and that tables provide guidance which may be extended or amended depending on vehicle characteristics, add tables specifying basic vehicle test conditions for “50 km/h mode,” “Brake mode,” and “Active ADS Mode,” add an alternative “Brake mode” with active ADS for vehicles where braking mode cannot be applied with ADS operational without ADS feature(s) activated, add AECS and AVAS test condition tables, and insert a new table cross-referencing UN Regulations with specific provisions and test configurations to demonstrate compliance with UN R10.

Proposal for conducting the ADS Active Test Specified in Annex 6 to clarify ADS Active Mode, clarify methods to activate ADS using test equipment or by modifying in-vehicle ADS-related ECU software, clarify test objects for ESA at component-level or system-level, and clarify test methods when ADS cannot be activated in an anechoic chamber, including testing in a non-active state using warning indicators and diagnostic functions, and testing when errors occur upon ADS activation. The proposal defines ADS Active Mode as representative ADS functions remaining operational using sensors whose inputs can be simulated within the anechoic chamber environment, with alternative test methods including application based on ESA or subsystem test results, testing with ADS not activated using steady-state driving conditions with pass/fail criteria verifying no communication errors, ECU malfunction, freeze, shutdown, or ADS system malfunctions occur, and testing with simulated sensor outputs using data from real-world driving or representative driving scenarios.

Proposal to add a new example and update text based on discussions by the OPI group aimed at finalizing the GID. The revised text adds that the ADS does not transit to a safe state in accordance with the manufacturers defined response as documented in the safety case, and removes provisions regarding the chosen stop location. The group agreed to further work in the next phase on situations where the chosen stop location could have contributed to a collision involving the ADS vehicle before it has moved from that location.

Proposal to improve the interpretation of para. 8.1.5.1. concerning the scope and contents of the manufacturer’s SMS safety policy.

Proposal to improve the interpretation of para. 8.1.5.1.(a) concerning the definition of the principles and objectives upon which the SMS is built, operated, and maintained.

Proposal to improve the interpretation of para. 8.1.5.1.(b) concerning the general recognition of the inherent risks of ADS-related activities throughout their life cycle, including the risks of the parties involved.

Proposal to improve the interpretation of para. 8.1.5.1.(c) concerning the organizational structure and the safety governance elements and their appropriateness for the needs of the organisation.

Proposal to improve the interpretation of para. 8.1.5.1.(e) the description of the means/approaches to engage people within the organisation in the culture of safety.

Proposal to delete the requirement that competence is expected to be actively developed and maintained through structured training and insert that this point focuses on the existence and maintenance of SMS training plans to support competence for the SMS management in para. 8.1.6.1.(b).

Proposal to revise the guidance text in para. 8.1.8.1.(c) by deleting “This element ensures the existence of effective communication channels, both internally and externally, to support awareness and information sharing.” and inserting “This point focuses on the existence of communication channels, both internal and external, to support awareness and information sharing.” The proposal follows comments received in the 18th ADS Workshop where discussion of the SMS section in a dedicated small drafting group was requested, and the current text aims at streamlining the text.

Based on ADS-21-68/Rev.1, amend para. 3.2.3.(b) to clarify that the regulation requires the safety level of ADS to be at least to the level of a competent and careful human driver as a general concept and technology-neutral comparator, that manufacturers should explain how they determine and apply this concept accounting for national specificities including those that might arise in relevant cases, that different approaches or combinations of approaches may be used varying depending on the safety concept, claims and argument structure, and approach to safety assessment, that no single approach is presumed better, that manufacturers may use more than one approach, that driver population reference data sets should be subject to appropriate selection, processing and interpretation, and to provide non-exhaustive examples of reference driver based approaches and behaviour-based approaches.

Proposal to add resources providing guidance on Safety Performance Indicators. The added resources include J3237, Dynamic Driving Task Assessment (DA) Metrics for Automated Driving Systems; AVSC00006202103, Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium (2021) Best Practice for Metrics and Methods for Assessing Safety Performance of Automated Driving Systems (ADS); AVSC00008202111, Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium (2021) AVSC Best Practice for Evaluation of Behavioural Competencies for ADS-Dedicated Vehicles (ADS-DVs); SAE J2944, Operational Definitions of Driving Performance Measures and Statistics; and SAE J3197, Automated Driving System Data Logger.