Notice2026-01274
Notice and Request for Comment; Proposal for a New United Nations Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems (ADS)
Primary source
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Published
January 23, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Abstract
The United Nations Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA), under the World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) at United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), has proposed a draft Global Technical Regulation (GTR) for Automated Driving Systems (ADS). NHTSA is seeking public comment on the draft GTR to help inform the U.S. government's position, including how that position could relate to any future domestic actions regarding the safety and performance of Automated Driving Systems.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 15 (Friday, January 23, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2994-2995]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01274]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2026-0034]
Notice and Request for Comment; Proposal for a New United Nations
Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems (ADS)
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments on a proposed Global Technical
Regulation (GTR) for Automated Driving Systems.
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SUMMARY: The United Nations Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and
Connected Vehicles (GRVA), under the World Forum for the Harmonization
of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) at United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (UNECE), has proposed a draft Global Technical Regulation
(GTR) for Automated Driving Systems (ADS). NHTSA is seeking public
comment on the draft GTR to help inform the U.S. government's position,
including how that position could relate to any future domestic actions
regarding the safety and performance of Automated Driving Systems.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 23, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2026-0034 through any of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic Submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments.
<bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
<bullet> Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management, U.S. Department
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except on Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help
you, please call (202) 366-9322 before coming.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and
docket number for this notice. Note that all comments received will be
posted without change to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading
below.
Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/privacy">https://www.transportation.gov/privacy</a>.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> or the street
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the
dockets via internet.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access
to background documents, contact Caitlin McKeighan, Office of
International Policy, Fuel Economy, and Consumer Standards, (202) 923-
1215, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, W45-117, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States is a contracting party to
the 1998 Global Agreement on Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts (the
1998 Agreement) concerning the establishment of Global Technical
Regulations (GTRs) for the safety of motor vehicles and their parts and
equipment. As a contracting party to the 1998 Agreement, and at the
request of the U.S. Department of State, NHTSA serves as the head of
delegation and technical lead for the U.S. at the World Forum for the
Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) and its six subsidiary
working parties, which provide guidance to WP.29 on specific aspects of
vehicle safety. The Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected
Vehicles, or GRVA, was established in June 2018 primarily to develop
harmonized performance requirements and assessment methods for ADS-
equipped and connected vehicles.
For the past five years, GRVA has been working on new draft
regulations for ADS-equipped vehicles. This effort has been a global
collaboration involving representatives from contracting parties, the
automotive industry, international standards organizations, and others.
The draft regulation is now being prepared for expected formal review
and endorsement by GRVA in spring 2026. The draft GTR included in this
docket contains various provisions as follows:
<bullet> General Requirements for ADS-equipped vehicles: including
requirements for the ADS to perform the Dynamic Driving Task, or DDT;
<bullet> The safety of interactions between the User and ADS;
<bullet> Manufacturer requirements, including the overall Safety
Management System under which the ADS was developed;
<bullet> The testing system and environment that the manufacturer
used to qualify the safe operation of the ADS;
<bullet> Requirements for the submission of a valid Safety Case for
the ADS; and
<bullet> Post-deployment monitoring capabilities.
If the ADS GTR draft is approved by GRVA, it will then move forward
to WP.29 for review and final decision. If WP.29 endorses the draft GTR
by vote, it is then formally established and listed as a Global
Technical Regulation. From there, each signatory (contracting party) to
the 1998 Agreement is expected to initiate processes to incorporate
parts or all of the GTR into their individual national regulatory
systems. After following their national process, if a contracting party
determines that a GTR cannot be incorporated domestically, they would
then provide written notice to WP.29 indicating the cause. It is
expected that WP.29 will review and vote on the draft ADS GTR later in
2026.
Public Comments Invited: In accordance with 49 CFR part 553,
Appendix C, NHTSA is soliciting
[[Page 2995]]
specific feedback on the draft GTR to assure that the U.S. position
reflects the best available safety data and technical expertise. The
draft ADS GTR can be found as an attachment to this docket.
Specifically, NHTSA encourages commenters to address the following
elements of the draft GTR:
1. Technical Merit: Whether the proposed performance requirements
and test procedures are technologically feasible and provide safety or
other benefits.
2. Compatibility with U.S. Safety Standards: Any potential
conflicts between the draft GTR and existing U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS).
3. Impact on Innovation: How the adoption of this GTR might affect
the development and deployment of ADS technology in the U.S.
4. Data and Research: Commenters are encouraged to provide any
technical, scientific, or economic data that supports or challenges any
of the requirements set forth in the draft GTR.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, as delegated at 49 CFR part 1.95.
Issued on January 21, 2026.
Jonathan Morrison,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2026-01274 Filed 1-22-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
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