Major road rule change from today means certain cars are no longer available in Australia
A new mandate introduced by the national authority that governs design standards means certain cars and vans will now disappear from Australian roads from today.
Motorists in the market for a new ride will have slightly less choice, but it's certainly in their best interest, safety advocates say. The significant change comes as authorities across the country continue to grapple with stubbornly high road death tolls.
Vehicle safety and performance mandates are regulated by the Australian Design Rules (ADR) body, covering safety, emissions, and the overall performance of a wide range of vehicles, from passenger cars to motorcycles and trucks. Key aspects include crash protection, braking systems, lighting, and fuel efficiency.
A major update to the rules, coming into effect from March 1, now requires nearly all new vehicles sold in Australia to be equipped with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems, regardless of their launch date.
The AEB technology automatically applies the brakes if a collision is imminent, reducing impact severity or preventing crashes altogether.
Cars that don't have an AEB system will no longer be sold from today – a move that will impact some popular models.
Dr Angelo D'Elia, from the Monash University Accident Research Centre, said the change is expected to significantly improve road safety across the country. For light vehicles, which make up the majority of cars on our roads, he estimates that the AEB mandate has the potential to save 36 fatalities, and 688 serious injuries per year.
"For low speed crashes (60 km/h and under) our research has found AEB to reduce fatalities and serious injuries by 28 per cent," he told Yahoo News. "For high speed crashes (over 60 km/h) our research has found AEB to reduce fatalities and serious injuries by 45 per cent."
Related: Big change to speed cameras as Aussies told to expect 'letters'
The change means Australian consumers will enjoy the same standards already enforced in Europe.
"This rule is based on the United Nations Regulation 152 which is already mandated in Europe," Swinburne University's Hussein Dia told Yahoo News earlier this month. "This new rule will align Australia with international standards and bring Australia more in line with Europe."
Given the long lead time for manufactures to comply, most have had sufficient time to adjust. For example Suzuki Australia will retire its light SUV Ignis, and will be launching the new Suzuki Fronx with AEB this year.
Most car brands have included AEB as a standard feature across their models since in recent years, however there are a handful of vehicles that are expected to no longer be compliant.
The petrol-powered Fiat 500 and Abarth models, along with certain LDV G10, V80, and Mahindra Pik-Up variants, will be discontinued, according to The Australasian Fleet Management Association (AfMA).
Mainstream models like the Mitsubishi ASX, Eclipse Cross, Pajero Sport, and older Renault Kangoo and Trafic vans will also caught up in the change. Suzuki's Baleno, Ignis, and S-Cross will be pulled from sale as well. Meanwhile Mazda announced last month that it was ending the production of the non compliant Mazda 6 after 22 years of selling it to Australian customers.
Even high-performance and luxury cars aren't spared — models like the Aston Martin DB11 and DBS, Lamborghini Aventador and Huracan, and some Porsche 718 versions will no longer be available, the AfMA said.
The industry body has long championed the change.
"ANCAP has been strongly encouraging the voluntary fitment of AEB technology across the Australian and New Zealand fleets through its national community awareness and advocacy activities since 2012, and more formally through its safety testing and star rating program since 2015," it previously said.
According to Drive, Swedish manufacturer Volvo was the first to roll out the braking system technology in 2008, before it quickly became a standard feature in their fleets.
with Joe Attanasio
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