Government brings ADRs into line with international standards

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Australasian Transport News / November 26, 2014

The scheme governing vehicle safety and design in Australia has been brought into line with international standards, opening the way for the country to adopt the latest technological advances as they become available.

The Federal Government today announced changes to the Australian Design Rules (ADRs) to harmonise them with the relevant United Nations (UN) regulations.

"The reforms announced today are a step towards ensuring that every time a UN regulation is updated the relevant ADR can be updated automatically, ensuring the latest technology is available in the Australian market as quickly as possible," assistant infrastructure minister Jamie Briggs says.

The first two UN regulations to be adopted as part of the change cover front fog lamps and rear vision devices.

Briggs says the regulation on fog lamps allows for testing methods that better represent real world conditions for front fog lamps, while the second regulation permits the introduction of new types of rear vision devices and provides for more robust testing methods.

"Applying these two regulations alone is expected to deliver nearly $1 million in industry compliance savings every year, as manufacturers will have the option of supplying fully approved UN products as part of their certification of vehicles," Briggs says.

"This will ensure manufacturers no longer need to produce older products specifically for Australia, meaning consumers will have access to safer vehicles sooner at the lowest possible cost."

Briggs says the Federal Government is currently working with industry and state and territory agencies to determine further UN regulations that can be applied.