Policy briefing addressing road traffic noise as a public health hazard and environmental concern. Documents adverse health effects of chronic noise exposure including cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment affecting over 100 million people. Identifies single-event noise exposures from modified combustion vehicles as disproportionately harmful drivers of citizen complaints. Warns that Enhanced Exterior Sound (EES) systems in electric vehicles replicate these harmful characteristics through high peak levels, steep onset rates, and prominent low-frequency tonal content. Recommends prohibiting EES designed to create sounds unrelated to safety, regulating Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) to minimum levels necessary for pedestrian safety while ensuring sound quality accessible to vulnerable populations, employing supplemental metrics beyond A-weighted averages to characterize harmful exposures, and making harm reduction an explicit objective of vehicle sound regulation.

Considerations by TF Data Analysis on revising the AVAS term in the RD-ASEP Sound Expectation Model to align with UN R138.02 specifications for electric and hybrid electric vehicles. The document presents two options: Option 1 implements UN R138.02 specifications for constant speed conditions; Option 2 extends Option 1 with an additional term to reflect paragraph 6.2.8 requirements for accelerated conditions. A revised AVAS term formula is proposed applicable only for vehicle speeds up to 50 km/h.

Agenda for the Task Force Data Analysis meeting of 29 September 2026. Discussion topics include amendments to factor x for improved model robustness, consideration on LDYN with amendments on factor x, considerations on the AVAS term to match UN R138, amendments to reference acceleration, temperature correction, indoor testing, simplified model for electric vehicles with integrated AVAS approach and amendments from Supplement 11, and considerations on slopes in the RD-ASEP model. The Task Force will prepare proposals for wording on issues identified in the editing task force list and address a clarification request regarding the phrase ‘but no more than 2.0 m/s’ in para. 3.1.2.1.4.3. concerning vehicles with only one gear ratio.

Document presents considerations on revising the AVAS term in the RD-ASEP Sound Expectation Model to align with UN R138.02 specifications for electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Two options are discussed: Option 1 implements only constant speed specifications from UN R138.02, while Option 2 extends this with an additional term to reflect interpretation of paragraph 6.2.8 for accelerated conditions. A revised AVAS term formula applicable for vehicle speeds up to 50 km/h is proposed.

Proposals for earlier series of amendments those may be used in certain country
where R156-01 is required. The provisions regarding provision of information on hardware and software relevant to approval testing are moved to the section related to specifications and/or tests as instructed in R.E.3. and the amendment made by WP29-197-06 is reflected.

Proposal to insert paragraphs establishing references to Software Identification Number definitions in Consolidated Resolution R.E.3 Annex 7 para. 2, insert paragraphs requiring manufacturers to provide Technical Services with information on hardware and software influencing performance, insert paragraphs allowing vehicle manufacturers to apply for new approvals to differentiate software versions for registered vehicles from those for new vehicles with duplication of tests avoided where possible, amend production discontinuation provisions to clarify that production is not considered definitively discontinued if manufacturers intend to obtain subsequent extensions for software updates of registered vehicles, and amend approval communications to include additional information regarding software identification and software updates in UN Regulations 51, 64, 138, 141, 142 and 165, as presented in document GRBP-83-36 and implementing Revision 8 to Consolidated Resolution No. 3 (WP.29/2025/147).

Corrections to documents submitted by TF-AVRS and approved by GRBP amend terminology in UN R51.03 to harmonize bidirectional spelling, correct vehicle category references in UN R51.03 and UN R165 to reference category X only rather than non-existent category M1Y or category M, clarify in UN R64 that logical signals shall be transmitted to the ADS when an ADS feature is active, introduce references to specific ADS provisions in Annexes 5 and 7 of UN R138.02 and UN R165, add grammatical corrections to UN R141, and align UN R165 terminology with ADS regulation language.

Results of the review of proposals for UN Regulations R28, R51, R64, R138, R141, R142, and R165 regarding autonomous vehicle readiness. Key findings include: inconsistent Mass in Running Order definitions between R51 and R138 versus RE3; unclear special testing provisions in R64, R138, and R165; need for clarification on ADS optical and logical signal transition in R64; redundant full definitions from RE3 in multiple proposals should reference RE3 via footnote instead; inconsistent ADS activity terminology across R64, R141, and R165 should be standardized; incorrect Category Y references in R51 Table 2; and definition and spelling errors in R51, R138, R141, and R165.

Proposal to add Annex 5 Special provisions for the testing of vehicles equipped with an Automated Driving System (ADS) to UN R138. The proposal amends paragraphs 2.7 and 2.8, inserts new paragraphs 2.13 to 2.16 defining ADS, Dynamic Driving Task, bi-directional vehicles, and forward direction, renumbers former paragraph 2.13 to 2.17, amends paragraph 6.2.5 regarding available AVAS sounds, amends Annex 1 item 1.2.2, amends Annex 3 paragraph 3.3.1 regarding testing conditions for bi-directional vehicles, and adds the new Annex 5 explaining how to adapt UN R138 to vehicles equipped with an ADS.

The subgroup on UN R51 and UN R138 met on 14 January 2026 to review comments on outcome documents. Switzerland’s sentence in 3.5. was retained for clarification. JASIC’s definition of EES footnote was changed to reference GRB-68-03. Transitional provisions remained unchanged with a new item added for Annex 1, Appendix 1. Agreement was reached on 6 dB allowance in Annex 7 paragraph 3.4. and 3 dB for three specific cases. A draft paragraph for GRB-68-03 justification will be submitted by email. Switzerland’s proposal SG-13-05-2025-07-30 will serve as basis. GRBP-82-39 includes examples for active systems generating EES and creation of part B for electric vehicles. Work on RD-