UN Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems (number to be confirmed; reported as No. 26) and UN Regulation No. 185 on ADS
Reported to require that an automated driving system be at least as safe as a competent and careful human driver within its operational design domain, backed by a safety management system and a safety case reviewed by an authority, safe fallback, a data storage system and cybersecurity and software-update processes. Manufacturers would monitor deployed vehicles and report significant safety events to authorities.
Scope. UN Regulation No. 185 binds a US developer seeking ADS type approval in a 1958 Agreement market such as the EU; the GTR binds no one until transposed, but the United States voted for its establishment on 24 June 2026 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1192, para. 113) and NHTSA has a docket on incorporating it (NHTSA-2026-0034).
Draft mapping. Drafted by the Register's agents from the rule's text and not yet confirmed by a person. It is the Register's reading, not legal advice: whether and how the rule applies to you is a question for counsel.
Controls this rule maps to
Required by the text The rule's text requires a measure that is this control, or plainly includes it. Implied A binding rule whose purpose needs this control, but whose text does not name it. The Register's reading. Recommended A voluntary standard or guidance recommends it; nothing binds you to it. Proposed Appears in a proposed rule or proposed provision that is not yet in force.
| Control | Strength | Where in the rule, and why | Confidence | Missing or failed in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent assurance before deployment C-O2 | Proposed | R185 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/137) para. 4.1.1: the approval authority or its technical service 'shall verify' the safety case (para. 7.3) and post-deployment safety (para. 7.4); 4.1.2: confirmatory testing 'shall at least include track and real-world testing'; 4.1.3: a valid Certificate of Compliance for SMS. GTR (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2026/139) paras. 6.1.1-6.1.4: the manufacturer's SMS 'shall be audited'. | medium | 1 case |
| Reporting integrity C-V2 | Proposed | R185 para. 7.4.7.1 / GTR para. 5.4.7.1: 'The manufacturer shall notify the relevant authority of a critical occurrence without unreasonable delay'; R185 para. 7.4.8.2: short-term reports 'within 30 days from its knowledge of the occurrence'; periodic reporting para. 7.4.9. | medium | 1 case |
| Independent audit log C-V1 | Proposed | R185 para. 6.3.1.1 / GTR para. 4.3.1.1: 'The ADS vehicle shall be equipped with a DSSAD capable of monitoring the safety performance of the ADS'; R185 Annex 8 / GTR Annex 6 para. 2.2: 'The DSSAD shall be protected against both unauthorized access and manipulation'. | medium | 1 case |
| Automated fail-safe C-R2 | Proposed | R185 paras. 6.1.6.1-6.1.6.2 / GTR paras. 4.1.6.1-4.1.6.2: 'For ADSF-2, the ADS fallback response shall be to place the vehicle in an MRC'; for ADSF-1, if a system-initiated deactivation cannot be completed, 'the ADS shall execute a fallback to an MRC'. | medium | 2 cases |
| Hard domain restriction C-E2 | Proposed | R185 paras. 6.1.5.1-6.1.5.4 / GTR paras. 4.1.5.1-4.1.5.4: 'The ADS shall recognise the conditions and boundaries of the ODD'; 'shall prevent activation of a feature unless the ODD conditions of the feature are met'; 'shall execute a fallback response when one or more ODD conditions ... are no longer met'. | medium | 4 cases |