The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has adopted a harmonized international regulation for automated driving systems (ADS), establishing common safety requirements for the development, approval and operation of autonomous vehicles.
According to UNECE, the regulation is expected to enter into force in about one month and is supported by major automotive markets including the European Union, the United States, China, Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom.
The framework is intended for automated driving systems capable of performing the complete driving task without human intervention, generally corresponding to SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles and above.
Common Safety Standards for Automated Driving
The regulation introduces standardized requirements that manufacturers must meet before automated driving systems can be approved for use.
These include implementing a Safety Management System, validating system performance through simulations, proving-ground testing and on-road trials, and submitting a Safety Case demonstrating that the automated driving system does not present an unreasonable safety risk.
UNECE also requires manufacturers to monitor system performance throughout a vehicle’s operational life.
Vehicles equipped with automated driving systems must include data storage capability to record safety-related events and support post-incident analysis.
Performance Benchmark Based on Human Drivers
Under the regulation, automated driving systems are expected to achieve a level of safety at least equivalent to that of a competent and attentive human driver.
In parallel with the new framework, UNECE said about 90 existing United Nations vehicle regulations have been updated to ensure they remain applicable to vehicles equipped with automated driving systems, including future vehicle designs that may not include conventional controls such as steering wheels or pedals.
Framework Supports National Approvals
The regulation does not authorize autonomous vehicles for public-road operation automatically.
Instead, it establishes a common regulatory basis that participating countries can use when issuing their own national approvals for automated driving systems.
UNECE said the harmonized framework is intended to reduce differences in regulatory requirements across markets, allowing manufacturers to develop and validate autonomous vehicle technologies using a more consistent set of standards.
The organization also said the regulation is designed specifically for fully autonomous driving systems and does not apply to driver assistance technologies at SAE Level 2 or Level 3, where responsibility for vehicle operation remains with the human driver.