Proposed Standard on Road Infrastructure Data

The proposed standard will help cars and road agencies speak the same language.

May 18, 2026

A proposed ASTM International standard will outline a method for collecting road infrastructure data using factory-installed embedded software that operates exclusively on original, factory-installed vehicle sensors. ASTM’s vehicle-pavement systems committee (E17) is developing the proposed standard (WK97778).

According to ASTM member Björn Zachrisson, the proposed standard will define how infrastructure data should be extracted from connected vehicles using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) approved, factory-installed systems.

“The goal is long-term consistency and scalability, recognizing that road infrastructure operates on decades-long horizons and that aftermarket solutions are not sustainable as vehicles become increasingly software-defined," says Zachrisson, product strategist, Nira Dynamics. “In simple terms, this standard helps cars and road agencies speak the same language. It makes it easier for OEMs to provide data and enables road authorities to use vehicles already on the road to continuously monitor conditions, reducing the need for manual inspections and adding a time dimension to how roads are understood.”

This effort directly relates to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals #9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure; #11 on sustainable cities and communities; and #13 on climate action.

“The standard supports SDG 9 by enabling continuous, user-focused infrastructure monitoring, SDG 11 by reducing reliance on dedicated inspection vehicles, and SDG 13 by allowing network-wide screening with connected vehicles and focusing resource-intensive testing only where it is truly needed,” says Zachrisson.

All interested parties are invited to participate in the development of WK97778.

“This is an open and collaborative effort, and broad participation is critical,” says Zachrisson. “We actively welcome OEMs, road authorities, and other stakeholders to contribute, and there is already industry interest, including from OEM initiatives currently underway.”

ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards. Join ASTM.

U.N. Sustainable Development Goals Supported: