New global regulations pave the way for driverless vehicles

That new regulatory framework – adopted on Wednesday by the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) – coming a decade after initial predictions of widespread use of automated vehicles failed to come true.

This new rule establishes common safety requirements and a common method for validating ADS-equipped vehicles.

Their goal is to strengthen trust among government, industry, and society by ensuring that automated systems meet stringent safety standards.

“By preventing fragmented national approaches, this regulation provides clarity for producers, confidence for consumers, and a path to safely scale up innovation across markets,” UNECE said.

General rules

The regulations require manufacturers to implement audited safety management systems that cover the entire life cycle of automated driving systems.

Additionally, manufacturers must ensure test environments, including virtual test tools, meet strict credibility criteria and demonstrate that their ADSs do not pose unreasonable risks.

Manufacturers must conduct ongoing performance monitoring and reporting so that real-world performance of automated vehicles can be assessed after implementation.

Vehicles must also be equipped with data storage systems for automated driving, ensuring that safety-relevant data is recorded and available for monitoring.

Safety comes first

The regulations require automated driving performance to match or exceed that of competent human drivers, UNECE said.

Since ADS will handle all driving tasks, including steering, acceleration, deceleration, and signaling, manufacturers must demonstrate “robust design, validation, and compliance with traffic regulations through simulation, track testing, and real-world trials.”

This regulation has support from major automotive markets, including Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

This regulation is expected to come into effect in about a month.

Updating existing regulations

In addition to the new regulatory framework, the UN forum also adopted amendments to around 90 UN regulations.

The amendments introduce clarifications that ensure existing vehicle regulations remain in effect for vehicles equipped with ADS, including vehicles that do not have traditional driver controls.

“This approach will ensure the continuity of the regulatory framework while enabling innovative vehicle designs, including fully driverless configurations,” UNECE said.