The new regulation stipulates that automated driving must be at least as safe as an attentive driver.
The United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), which operates under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), adopted UN Regulation No. 185 on June 24, 2026. This is the first global framework for the approval of vehicles based on their automated driving systems. Global Technical Regulation No. 26 was also adopted alongside it. Until now, autonomous vehicles have been approved according to regional or national rules that differed from one another.
The regulation establishes common safety requirements and validation methods. Manufacturers must have an audited safety management system covering the entire vehicle lifecycle. Testing environments, including virtual tools, must meet credibility criteria. Vehicles must continuously monitor their performance, collect data from real-world operation, and store safety-relevant information, including a system for reporting critical events and annual reporting.
The key criterion is simply stated: the performance of the automated driving system must meet or exceed that of a competent and cautious human driver. The package also includes amendments to approximately ninety existing UN regulations so that they can be applied to vehicles with automated driving, including fully driverless configurations. The new framework will be gradually incorporated into European Union law.
Source: UNECE , WP.29, session June 23–26, 2026