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During the meeting of experts on automated, autonomous and connected vehicles (GRVA), which took place on 23-27 September 2024 in Geneva, discussions included changes in the requirements for the Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS), in accordance with UN Regulation 157. The experts noted the need to adapt the regulations to the results of observations made during the operation of such systems in real traffic conditions. At the same time, the need to maintain technological neutrality was emphasized, thus avoiding favoring specific solutions. According to the previous regulations, an ALKS system should initiate a lane change only if the following conditions are met:

• there is a reason to change lanes (e.g. driving cannot continue in the current lane in order to overtake a slower moving vehicle, where a lane change is required by national road traffic regulations),
• the target lane is a regular lane or a hard shoulder temporarily opened as a regular lane,
• it is expected that the LCP (Lane Change Procedure) will be completed before the ALKS-equipped vehicle stops (i.e. to avoid stopping in the middle of two regular lanes due to traffic stopping in front of the vehicle). If a vehicle equipped with an ALKS system stops between two regular lanes during a lane change manoeuvre, e.g. due to surrounding traffic, it should complete the procedure as soon as possible or return to its original lane.

Informal document GRVA-20-04 prepared by experts from Germany contains changes in the form of a supplement to the series of amendments to UN Regulation 157. The changes concern the requirements relating to the lane change procedure (paragraph 5.2.6.5.1.).

According to the proposed change, the ALKS system activated in vehicles of category N3 or M3 should initiate a standard lane change only when the maximum permissible speed in the target lane is limited for all vehicle categories (paragraph 5.2.6.5.1.1). Changing lanes by heavy vehicles of category N3 or M3 to lanes without speed limits may pose a serious threat to the safety of approaching vehicles due to large differences in speed.

Considering the serious threat to vehicles moving in the target lane, the previous requirements (applied in the previous version of the Regulation) were considered insufficient.

In order to improve safety, the experts proposed changes that directly limit the possibility of changing lanes by vehicles of the above categories. The document was positively received by the experts and approved by GRVA.

Source:
Proposal for supplement to the 01 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 157 (ALKS), Informal document GRVA-20-04, 20th GRVA, 23-27 September 2024

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The meeting of experts on automated, autonomous and connected vehicles of GRVA was attended by a representative of the Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Competence Centre (CK:PAP) Dr. Eng. Artur Gołowicz. The group of experts established within GRVA is subordinate to WP.29 (World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations).