The agenda includes a wrap up of EDO discussion during the 79th session of GRSP, authorization to amend GTR 1 and 14, transformation of the task force into an IWG, submission of working documents on amendments to UN R11 including Korea proposal about intuitiveness images and German proposal about amendments to UN R100, any other homework of 5th EDO meeting, amendments to UN R21, reflection on comments during 79th session of GRSP, remaining homework for 6th EDO meeting in Paris, and next meetings.

The Working Party on Passive Safety discussed a proposal to delete transitional provisions 15.1.2. and 15.1.3. from UN R22 on the basis that they contradicted article 12.4. of revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement. GRSP concluded that in case of contradiction between the provisions of Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement and those of UN R22, the provisions of the 1958 Agreement should prevail. This interpretation matter is being brought to the attention of WP.29 because it may affect other UN Regulations with similar provisions under the purview of other subsidiary working parties. GRSP requested guidance on the correct interpretation of transitional provisions 15.1.2. and 15.1.3.

Homework item #15 on definition of emergency events was reviewed. The Task Force differentiated between life events and emergency events, with only the latter within scope. Discussion addressed whether UN R100’s event definition might be too restrictive and whether auto door lock functions and triggers require further definition. Para. 6.4.3 wording to enter or depart the vehicle even after a power loss was noted as addressing concerns. The trigger in UN R100 should be used; other triggers may be considered based on proposals. A proposal concerning UN R100 will be uploaded to the Wiki. Amendments to GTR 1 are expected for submission to GRSP in December, with the Republic of Korea, United States of America, and Canada to provide a first draft for the September meeting. Authorization request and Terms of Reference will be submitted to WP.29 at its November session. Participants are requested to provide comments on informal documents and suggested solutions for identified issues.

The 17th session of the Children Left in Vehicles informal working group met online on 28 May 2026 to finalise the draft UN Regulation for buses and coaches for presentation at the 79th GRSP session in June. The group agreed to retain the title and scope structure, remove Automated Driving System from definitions, retain Vehicle Master Control Switch wording, include Special Purpose Vehicles, remove the first sentence of paragraph 5.1, replace SOS Morse code signalling requirements with existing hazard warning lights combined with the horn, remove optional requirements from paragraph 5.4.4.6, remove Figure 2 and paragraphs 6.3.7 to 6.4.2, remove Section 11 Transitional Provisions, and remove Annex 2.

The agenda includes feedback from the June GRSP session on the submitted draft UN Regulation, next progression of work for light vehicle drafting and consideration of a September face-to-face meeting.

UN IWG CLIV presented a draft UN R regulation proposal for buses at May UN GRSP session covering physical inspection system with no sensing required. Discussions on light vehicle regulation, paused since early 2026, can now resume. Light vehicles will have sensing related performance requirements. ISO CPD surrogates availability will be crucial to implement the regulation. UN IWG CLIV will hold a 4-day workshop from 08–11 September, likely at UTAC/France, focusing on light vehicles, welcoming ISO CPD expert participation and presentations on ISO CPD status and test tools.

The 18th session of the Children Left in Vehicles Informal Working Group convened online on 25 June 2026. Feedback from GRSP on the draft UN Regulation for buses and coaches was positive, with a 10 July submission deadline for further comments. Australia will circulate a preliminary draft UN Regulation for light vehicles to Vice-Chairs before the September face-to-face meeting in Paris. The bus UN Regulation will initially include only Physical Inspection Systems, while light vehicle discussions will address indirect, indirect-plus, or direct sensing systems. A trilateral meeting between Australia, the United States, and Canada made constructive progress on Global Technical Regulation development, with potential for a November WP.29 vote.

Minutes of the 26th meeting of GRSP TF on AVRS held on Tuesday 22nd of May 2026 online. The agenda and previous minutes were approved. Status reports were received from other groups, with a closing meeting on ADS fitness expected in June. GRSP reviewed consistency of ADS fitness work and UN Regulation 137 sensor updates. EC presented updates on UN Regulation N₁Y and UN Regulation 127 pedestrian protection. OICA raised discussion on frontal test procedures in Annex 3 referencing UN Regulation No. 94 for vehicles with maximum mass not exceeding 2,500 kg and UN Regulation No. 137 for vehicles with maximum mass exceeding 2,500 kg and not exceeding 3,500 kg. No comments were received on passive safety requirements for ADS steering systems. Future meetings are scheduled for 1–5 June, 1st July, 4th September, 5th October, 27th November, 1st December, and 7–11 December.

Y-category vehicles are equipped with an Automated Driving System and not designed to carry occupants. They may develop aggressive front structures that could harm passenger cars in accidents. The proposal introduces the Occupant Load Criterium (OLC), derived from velocity-time graphs in crash tests, as a compatibility assessment criterion. OLC multiplied by vehicle mass indicates impact aggressivity. Data from ODB tests show OLC values range from approximately 22 to 35 g across various vehicles. The proposal suggests using a maximum OLC × mass value to prevent excessively aggressive vehicle front structures while keeping current passenger car designs unaffected.

A decision was taken in mid-2025 to start drafting a new regulation collecting relevant safety requirements for Category Y vehicles. UN R127 on pedestrian safety performance could be directly amended to include Y-category vehicles instead of including requirements in a new regulation. TF AVRS agreed to amend UN R127 to include Y-category vehicles. A draft regulation (v4) is available proposing supplement 5 to the 04 series of amendments, including amendment suggestions in scope to determine exemptions for Y-category vehicles based on front structural geometry dimensions rather than R-point criteria.

A new UN Regulation is being drafted for N₁vehicles of category Y (vehicles equipped with an automated driving system, not capable of manual driving exceeding 6 km/h, and not designed to carry occupants). The draft incorporates crash safety requirements from UN R94, UN R95, UN R137, and UN R153. Draft version 5 adds provisions for simplified approval procedures for previously approved vehicles, references UN R137 for vehicles between 2,500 and 3,500 kg, and clarifies B pillar references. Open issues include confirming non-applicability of lateral collision partial tests and clarifying which simplified procedures are permitted.

Proposal to insert a new paragraph 0 introducing supplements 4 and 5 to the 04 series of amendments extending the Regulation to vehicles of categories X and Y, amend paragraph 1 to establish scope and exemptions for categories X and Y, amend paragraphs 2.8, 2.22, 2.29, 2.32, 2.44, and 2.45 to define test procedures and reference areas for vehicles without drivers or manual controls, and amend paragraph 5.3.1.2 to clarify automatic return of ARHSS when vehicle speed exceeds 25 km/h or while an ADS feature is active.

Field data shows reduction in risk for both males and females, though risk difference between males and females remains with higher risk for females regarding soft tissue neck injuries. Purely geometry-based assessment may not be sufficient; minimizing relative spine movements, forward rebound, evenness and energy absorption are important for equitable protection against whiplash. Discussion concluded that headrests often remain in highest position and do not protect occupants of lower stature optimally, which should not be considered misuse. A forgiving design of backrest and headrest should be targeted. Important to avoid suboptimization and assess more than one single point.

Whiplash injury causes neck pain, stiffness, headache, shoulder pain, and neurological symptoms, with women more sensitive than men. Symptoms occur consistently across rear, frontal, and lateral impacts. Research focuses on nerve injury in spinal ganglia as the injury site, as this explains why long term whiplash symptoms include neurological symptoms independent of crash direction. The Neck Injury Criterion (NIC) measures injury using the formula NIC = 0.2Δa + Δv², where Δa is acceleration difference and Δv is velocity difference. Whiplash motion causes rapid volume changes inside the vertebral canal, with epidural blood volume pumped to compensate. Animal experiments using pressure sensors show pressure changes in skull and spine at different vertebral levels during whiplash events.

Simulation of UN R17 whiplash protection component tests and rear impact sled tests using finite element models of a Toyota Auris seat showed the UN R17 test protocol is not robust. A modified seat model approved in component tests (displacement, strength, energy dissipation) but failed the dynamic performance test. Component tests allow large variation in seat properties and do not ensure approval of the dynamic performance test. Seat properties with large effects on whiplash protection in dynamic performance tests can vary substantially with minimal effects in component tests.

Document discusses virtual testing research on rear impact occupant protection. CIDAS data from 132 rear-end collision cases involving 287 occupants shows female occupants comprise 34.15% of rear-impact cases, significantly higher than 21.25% across all accident types. Female passengers predominantly occupy rear seats at 46.95%. C-NCAP 2027 introduces whiplash virtual testing using EvaRID dummy for second-row seats alongside BioRID II for driver seats, with EvaRID injury limits 20% lower than BioRID II. Research includes dummy positioning adjustments and repeatability studies using ISO/TS 18571 evaluation methods.

EuroNCAP conducted whiplash tests using EVARID, a prototype dummy representing a 50%ile female based on BioRID II, on 2024 and 2025 seats with mid and high severity pulses. EVARID showed earlier head restraint contact time but shorter duration, higher NIC values in several cases, higher neck forces Fx and Fz, and higher pelvis and lumbar accelerations compared to BioRID II, indicating different dummy behavior. Next steps include repeatability and reproducibility testing, additional seat testing, evaluation of assessment criteria, and dummy certification.

A finite element model of the average female crash test dummy SET 50F v0.2 for low severity rear impact safety was developed through further tuning and evaluation of the FE SET 1.0.0 model to the FE SET 50F 2.0.0 model. Development included re-meshing of foam, fine tuning weights of body parts, drop tests on abdomen and torso foam, and static spine bending tests of thoracic-lumbar and cervical regions. The FE SET 50F 2.0.0 open-source model is available on the OpenVT platform.

IIHS is implementing virtual testing for whiplash prevention in rear-impact evaluation. A draft test protocol allowing ATD simulation submission was published in June 2025, with rating guidelines and auditing procedures following in December 2025. The evaluation uses metrics including head contact time, maximum NKM, upper neck tension, T1 x acceleration, and pelvis displacement at both 16 km/h and 24 km/h crash pulses. Small SUV ratings began in January 2026. Whiplash prevention with simulation option will be included in IIHS Top Safety Pick awards by February 2028. Future development includes human body model workflows and validation procedures.

The University of Virginia Center for Applied Biomechanics conducted a parametric modeling study of seat performance in rear impact for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety using OpenVT seat geometry, foam, and structure characteristics spanning real seats. Simulations compared BioRID and EvaRID dummy responses across multiple crash pulses. Some kinematic measures correlated between dummies, while most kinetic measures did not. EvaRID showed greater sensitivity to seatback foam stiffness and pre-crash braking effects than BioRID, with pre-pretensioner reducing several outcome measures.

The Equitable Occupant Protection Task Force 4 met to discuss frontal impact and restraints requirements. An initial prioritization table was tabled in November 2025 and discussed in January 2026, with experts indicating low, medium, or high priority for topics including submarining, abdominal injuries, crash speeds, and seat positions. A proposed updated prioritization table was presented to consider the whole picture when defining future requirements. Current frontal crash performance requirements are mainly defined in UN R94 and UN R137, with specific seatbelt requirements in UN R14 and UN R16. An in-person workshop is scheduled for Tokyo, November 4–6, 2026, to assess robustness and close equity issues. The next meeting is September 7, 2026.