The first global regulations for fully autonomous vehicles have been adopted by a UN agency, paving the way for larger-scale rollouts of self-driving (driverless) cars. The rules establish uniform international safety requirements.
Harmonising the rules world wide
Their promoters claim that the new rules, expected to come into force in January 2027, will eliminate fragmented national approaches to regulation – and assuage manufacturers’ fears that vehicles developed for one market could be blocked from others.
The new rules were adopted by the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulation at the UN in Geneva which brings together dozens of countries, carmakers and technology giants.
The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the forum’s umbrella organisation, said the global regulatory landscape had reached a “decisive milestone” and “really big step”.
Robotaxi market is growing fast
The new regulatory framework comes at a time when the market for “robotaxis” – driverless cars loaded with sensors – is growing fast.
In the US and China combined, private robotaxi fleets more than doubled in 2025 to reach 8,000 vehicles across more than two dozen major cities, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
IEA forecasts there will be between 700,000 and 3,000,000 robotaxis in 40 to 80 major cities by 2035.
The global regulations aim to “strengthen trust among governments, industry and the public by ensuring that automated systems meet rigorous safety standards.”
Under the agreement, autonomous vehicles produced in one country can be sold in another without further controls.
Safety designs will need to meet a global standard
The new framework will require manufacturers to ensure that testing meets strict credibility criteria, and also to implement audit safety governance and process throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle.
They will also be required to provide evidence that their system “poses no unreasonable risk”, provide continuous performance monitoring, while vehicles must also record and store safety-relevant data.
By preventing fragmented national approaches, the regulation offers “clarity for manufacturers, confidence for consumers and a pathway to scale innovation safely across markets,” UNECE said.
Moreover, manufacturers must ensure test environments, including virtual testing tools, meet strict credibility criteria and demonstrate that their Automated Driving Systems (ADS) poses no unreasonable risk.
Because ADS will handle all driving tasks – driving, accelerating, decelerating, and signalling – carmakers must demonstrate “robust design, validation, compliance with traffic rules through simulation, track testing and real world trials”.
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