Study on image generation method to support evaluation of automated driving systems. Fine-tuned an image generator on the Zenseact Open Dataset using 100,000 road-scene images annotated with 3D bounding boxes. Demonstrated ability to generate plausible images reflecting scenario specifications and to create images causing detection errors in object detectors. Next steps include quantitatively evaluating validity and realism of generated images and developing methods to automatically identify scenario specifications that degrade object detector performance.

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.

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

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 NHTSA intends to release draft guidance documents on individual topics as chapters and consolidate them into a final updated guidance document.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.

Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) are measurable metrics monitoring and evaluating ADS safety in operation, including lagging indicators recording outcomes like crashes and injuries, and leading indicators capturing precursors like near misses and risky behaviours. Research tested time-based and distance-based SPIs on the SHRP2 dataset containing 1402 crashes and 5262 near-crashes, achieving Area Under the Curve values of 0.883 for Distance Headway and 0.832 for Time-to-Collision in distinguishing crashes from normal driving. SPIs support safety cases, in-service monitoring and reporting requirements, and continuous ADS deployment monitoring, with future work extending analysis to additional datasets and field data collection.

Document identifies open questions regarding MRC definition, risk assessment, feature deactivation, and post-MRC obligations. Discusses reasons for MRC including collisions, faults, remote termination, ODD exits, and fallback user transition failures. Addresses post-MRC reporting and data recording under DSSAD and ISMR. Examines feature deactivation following MRC and ODD exit scenarios, with three possible solutions for ADSF-2 post-ODD exit recording.

Proposal to clarify that the ADS must respond to user requests to deactivate, require multimodal signals at the start of and during deactivation procedures that continue until completion or termination, require escalation of warnings for system-initiated deactivations if the user is not re-engaging as expected, require gradual reduction of ADS control action during deactivation while maintaining safe vehicle control, allow the ADS to retake full control if the vehicle is not being controlled safely, terminate the deactivation procedure if the user is not suitably engaged and the time available to transition has expired, replace the requirement for contact with the steering wheel with being in a physical position to operate the driving controls, suspend non-driving related activities at the start of the deactivation procedure, and modify the DDT section to require fallback to an MRC instead of a deactivation procedure if there is insufficient time for transition.

Proposal to modify para. 4.2.2.3.8.1 to add a requirement that a user be in a physical position to operate the driving controls, to allow gaze to be directed to multiple driving task-relevant areas rather than a single area, and to add a requirement that the user have demonstrated an appropriate response to transition of control.

Analysis of terminology related to remote support for automated driving systems, grouping terms into four categories: remote termination, remote fleet management, remote assistance, and remote driving. Remote termination disables ADS features until rescinded. Remote fleet management involves observation without performing the dynamic driving task. Remote assistance provides information while ADS continues the dynamic driving task. Remote driving involves a remote user performing the dynamic driving task. Document proposes agreeing on categories, determining definitions, developing a supplement without new requirements, and potentially developing proposals for new requirements covering ADS performance when expected remote support is not provided and further consideration of remote assistance.

Japan presents a proposed approach to address regulatory provisions for end-to-end (E2E) automated driving systems. E2E technology uses a single AI model to perform the entire driving task from perception to decision-making. While E2E systems offer benefits including flexible responses to traffic situations and reduced deployment costs through lower dependence on high-definition maps, concerns exist regarding their black-box nature, including limited visibility into decision-making processes, challenges with reproducibility, and difficulties with root cause analysis in accident investigations. The proposed approach involves three steps: identifying key issues related to E2E automated driving, discussing and organizing identified issues including possible E2E-specific requirements, and considering concrete amendment of provisions based on conclusions reached.

Overview of activities under the testing sub-group for ADS regulations, covering approval, manufacturer requirements, and compliance assessment. Documents Level 1 and Level 2 requirements across virtual testing, track testing, and real-world testing environments. Identifies items not addressed in original versions, existing items requiring further consideration including safety case suitability testing and evidence generation, improvements identified during drafting GID discussions, and other items not included in previous lists.

Proposal to insert a requirement that at the start of the deactivation procedure, any non-driving related activities provided or enabled by the ADS vehicle that were permitted because an ADS feature is active shall be automatically suspended. The requirement applies only to activities provided or enabled by the ADS vehicle and only to NDRA permitted because an ADS feature is active, not to activities such as listening to music or navigation permitted while an ADS feature is not active.

The document identifies inconsistencies between requirements in sections 6 and 7 and assessment provisions in section 8 of UN R185, including requirements without specific assessment provisions, assessment provisions without corresponding requirements, and cases with no direct mapping between requirements and assessment. The document presents examples of problematic wording differences and asks whether section 8 should be retained as-is, aligned, simplified, removed, or consolidated into other sections.

Change request to establish a method to transfer vehicle control between the ADS and the user during the deactivation procedure. The ADS shall maintain safe control of the vehicle until the deactivation procedure is completed, gradually reduce its vehicle control action in response to the user assuming vehicle control, and may increase its control action if the reduction is leading to an unsafe vehicle response.

Change request to add new paragraph clarifying that an advance notification that the fallback user should prepare for a system-initiated deactivation shall not be considered as the start of the deactivation procedure. The existing text does not clearly define when a system-initiated deactivation procedure begins. Advance notification is a necessary tool to prepare the fallback user for re-engagement without prematurely starting the deactivation procedure.

Change request to clarify ADS response to user-initiated deactivations. Proposes to amend para. 4.2.2.3.3 to specify that for ADSF-2 systems, deactivation procedures shall only be initiated if the ADS can assess the user to be available to assume the role of the driver according to fallback user provisions in para. 4/6.2.2.1.6 a), and to renumber para. 4.2.2.3.4 as para. 4.2.2.3.3.1. The original text could be misinterpreted as requiring the ADS to initiate deactivation whenever requested by the user.

Proposal to insert provisions requiring the ADS to terminate the deactivation procedure and execute a fallback to an MRC if the user is not suitably engaged after the time available for transition has expired, to permit the ADS to terminate the deactivation procedure and resume its previous operating state in the case of user-initiated deactivation instead of a fallback to an MRC, and to require the user be promptly informed that the deactivation process has been terminated and the reason for termination.

Proposal to insert new provisions requiring the system to inform users of deactivation procedure initiation and continuation using at least an optical signal and an auditory or haptic signal until completion or termination, escalate the warning using stronger and/or more frequent optical, auditory and/or haptic signals if the user is not re-engaging in the DDT within an expected time after deactivation initiation, maintain the escalated warning while the user is not re-engaging in the DDT, de-escalate the warning when the user is re-engaging in the DDT with sufficient time available for transition, include a haptic component when an immediate user response is required, and require manufacturers choosing to implement warning escalation for user-initiated deactivations to meet the same requirements as system-initiated deactivations.

Change request to amend para. 4.1.6.2. to add a condition that an ADSF-1 shall execute a fallback to an MRC if there is insufficient time available for transition or if it has not been possible to complete a system-initiated deactivation procedure. The revision ensures that in situations where an ADSF-1 does not have time to safely transition to the fallback user, it should fallback to an MRC to avoid having a fallback user that is unprepared and unable to safely take back control.

Proposal to clarify para. 5.3.1.14 by replacing ‘end states’ with ‘possible vehicle resting positions’, adding examples of stopped in lane, stopped on shoulder, and stopped in parking spot, removing ‘feature’ from references to the ADS to provide flexibility, and adding requirement for the ADS to select a mitigated risk condition in addition to attempting to reach it.

Document lists work items for phase 2 of the IWG on Automated Driving Systems, organized by categories: ADS requirements covering Dynamic Driving Task (remote assistance, connectivity, MRC, priority vehicles and road safety agents); interactions between ADS and its user(s) (external HMI, feature activation and deactivation, ADS to ADAS transitions, HMI commonality, resuming control by fallback user); other ADS requirements (software parameter adaptation, DSSAD, non-DDT related tasks); manufacturer requirements (ISMR, safety case, ODD description, leading metric considerations); items affecting UN Regulation or GTR only (separate technical units, communication document, mutual recognition of SMS); and other items (drafting and text improvements, system updates and thresholds, end-to-end AI ADS, items remaining from FRAV/VMAD integration document). Each item identifies lead parties, priority levels, and status.

GRVA will continue to establish and maintain the United Nations regulatory framework for Automated Driving Systems, including UN R185 and GTR 26. GRVA will continue its work on cyber security, over-the-air software updates, and the Data Storage System for Automated Driving. GRVA will focus on implementation of ADS and development of provisions for the Exchange of Scenario-Relevant Information. GRVA will further elaborate requirements for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, building on UN R79 and UN R171, and for Automated Emergency Braking Systems, building on UN R131 and UN R152.

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.

Practical information for attendees of the ADS IWG Conference in The Hague from 7 to 11 December 2026, including venue location, transportation routes from nearby airports, public transport guidance, hotel options, dining recommendations, tourist attractions, shopping districts, and nearby Dutch cities accessible by train.

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.

Proposal to revise guidance text in para. 8.1.6.1.(d) to delete the statement that the intention is to ensure safety promotion contributes to ongoing learning and improvement, reinforcing the adaptive nature of the SMS, and insert revised text stating that this point focuses on continued evaluation contributing to ongoing learning so that the SMS remains effective, allowing an adaptive nature through modification and adaptation supported by safety recordkeeping.

Proposal to improve guidance on para. 8.1.8.1. which focuses on aspects that support safety and safety culture such as people, competencies, and communication.

Proposal to amend the interpretation of para. 8.1.5.1.(d) to replace “a key” with “an”, delete “effective”, and insert “processes” before “of the SMS”. The proposal streamlines guidance text on SMS safety policy to improve clarity in describing how safety policy demonstrates management commitment to safety through approval by the accountable executive and supports promotion of safety and continuous improvement of the SMS.

Proposal to modify para. 8.1.7.1.(h) to replace “aims to ensure that” with “focuses on”, replace “Assessment of how organizations coordinate” with “Assessment that organizations coordinate”, delete “and product reviews” from the list of change management triggers, and delete “the approach and output from various” before “monitoring procedures” and delete “including operational data, safety reports and performance indicator” from the examples of monitoring procedures.

Proposal to improve the interpretation of para. 8.1.6.1.(a) concerning verification that reactive and proactive practices for risk management are in place.