How do we ensure that self-driving vehicles operate safely? The United Nations presents its recommendations

The UN Economic Commission for Europe said that the proposal, adopted by the Commission’s task force, sets out uniform safety provisions and a harmonized methodology for validating vehicles equipped with automated driving systems, based on a safety study approach and robust research and development processes.

Tatiana Molchan, Executive Secretary of the Committee, said: “The harmonized vehicle rules developed by the Commission are essential to avoid fragmented national approaches, thus maximizing economies of scale, supporting safety, market access and innovation in the automotive industry.”.

Features of the global list

The committee explained that the draft will be submitted to the Global Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations for adoption at its next session (23-26 June 2026). The task force will finalize technical provisions related to data collection for automated driving systems. If approved by the forum, the global regulation will enter into force immediately.

The draft global regulation aims to meet the needs of diverse markets and promote innovation while ensuring the highest level of road safety. Among the features it included:

⬅️ Audit and approve the safety management system to ensure compliance with requirements.

⬅️ Requirements to prove the reliability of test environments and methods.

⬅️ Manufacturers must prove that the autonomous driving system meets the requirements and is free from unreasonable risks.

⬅️ Monitoring and reporting during service.

⬅️ Data storage system for automated driving.