Stefan Coetzeecreated 2026-05-12updated 2026-05-121 min readposition
Vault note, not reviewed against the source. Written in the knowledge vault on 2026-05-12 by models working with Stefan Coetzee and published as it stands, with private addresses, e-mail addresses and an employer name redacted. Check claims against the primary source before relying on them.
UN R155 / R156 Position
What they do well
Mandatory teeth — type approval gating means real consequence.
CSMS + SUMS explicit at organizational level.
OTA-aware in R156.
Mutual recognition via 1958 Agreement reduces cross-jurisdiction overhead.
What they do poorly
Type approval focus — covers homologation, not lifetime continuous engineering.
AI / autonomous-vehicle dynamics — outpace regulation cycle.
Smaller manufacturer burden disproportionate.
CSMS assessment depth varies by authority.
Evidence
All new EU vehicle types require R155 + R156 since 2022.
All new vehicles since July 2024.
Adoption in UK, Japan, South Korea, others.
Industry implementation through ISO 21434 + ISO 24089.
Personal calibration
For automotive client work: regulatory vocabulary load-bearing.