In a global sense most national practices, legal and technical, in the field of Road Traffic Regulations, are related to the UN Conventions on Road Traffic. In the process of preparing, or revising, Conventions of this complex nature, it is obvious to all professionals involved that the only possibility for a reasonable level of agreement, as to the final shape of the documents, is to make them quite wide in their significance. This paper argues the urgent need for a permanent service to all Governments as a link between the Conventions, and the national legislative processes and Manuals. The necessity for broad and fast international cooperation to meet actual, and most of all future, demands on technical harmonization partly as a result of new technologies, like Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS), is discussed. Finally, this paper puts the focus on the need for nations to be free to form their own future; possible ways to raise financial resources and how to administrate the work and how to motivate Governments to take active part.
Abstract