IRU’s first roundtable on technology and innovation centred on the challenges, integration and potential of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in commercial road transport.
With more than ten corporate IRU members and partners in attendance, the recent IRU Technology and Innovation Roundtable, the first of its kind, provided a collaborative platform to explore new technologies, address current challenges, and anticipate how evolving regulations and standards can foster innovation without creating unnecessary barriers.
From digital border processes to AI-powered route optimisation, developments like ADAS can enhance safety – human error accounts for approximately 85% of road accidents – while improving the overall driving performance.
ADAS technologies gather data from a vehicle’s surroundings using sensors, including long- and short-range radars, interior and exterior cameras, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems, as well as internal vehicle parameters such as speed, braking pressure, and steering wheel angle.
This data is analysed in real time, assisting drivers with tasks like lane centring and blind spot monitoring, or intervening in emergencies by activating automatic braking or issuing drowsiness alerts.
Although the roundtable mainly focused on ADAS, the discussions reflected a broader vision for a safer, more autonomous and digitally connected road transport.
Ultimately, the objective for IRU is to use the roundtable’s outcomes to support IRU positions and enrich the work of the UNECE Group of Experts.
Next steps
IRU is actively participating in the UNECE Group of Experts (GE.3), helping draft a new legal instrument for automated vehicles. The group's work centres on the safe deployment of automated driving systems (ADS) and addressing legal liability in accidents.
The last session reached consensus on key issues, including gaps in driver definitions, driver roles and ADS rules. Moving forward, GE.3 will develop harmonised solutions to ensure the safe deployment of automated vehicles for cross-border operations.
In the upcoming IRU Commission on Technical Affairs (CIT) meeting, members will define IRU’s position on ADAS and ADS, outlining priorities for advocacy.
CIT provides recommendations on improving the safety, security and efficiency of passenger and goods transport by road.