Experts on active safety and advanced driver assistance systems under the World Forum for harmonization of vehicle regulations have just adopted technical provisions as a first step towards the introduction of self-steering systems. The group defined 5 categories of automation corresponding to the functionalities that the vehicle will be able to perform and adopted performance requirements for the first 2 levels of automation defined by SAE International.
These relate to systems that, under specific driving circumstances, will take over the control of the vehicle under the permanent supervision of the driver, such as self-parking functions and Lane Keeping Assist Systems (e.g. when the car will take corrective measures if it detects that it is about to cross a lane accidentally). They also entail removing the current limitation of automatic steering functions to driving conditions below 10km/h contained in UN Regulation No. 79. Once adopted by the World Forum at one of its forthcoming meetings, these provisions will be integrated into UN vehicle Regulation No. 79.
The group will continue working on the requirements for more complex highway autopilots (e.g. when the vehicle would be self-driving at high speeds on highways).
The impact of the adopted provisions is not limited to the construction of vehicles but also to legislation on road traffic (e.g. in some countries it is currently illegal to step out of the car while the engine is on, if one would like to use the remote control parking in the streets).
Note to editors
The Working Party on Braking and Running Gear (GRRF) is the subsidiary body of the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) that prepares regulatory proposals on active safety, braking and running matters. This group of experts conducts research and analysis to develop and propose active safety requirements of vehicles.