Latest news with #AustralianDesignRules
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Car brands 'saving a few dollars' leave Aussie drivers at risk: 'Not acceptable'
Vehicle safety standards are slipping in Australia, falling far behind our European counterparts when it comes innovative technology advancements that have not only been proven to save lives, but have already been in place for many years. While we are making some progress, in order to combat the soaring number of fatalities taking place on our roads, drastic measures are urgently needed, including among both vehicle manufacturers and government divisions. Dr Ingrid Johnston, CEO of the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), said Australia "used to be a leader" in this space, but in recent years, has trailed behind many other developed countries. Speaking to Yahoo, she said we can do much better and called for authorities to "catch up". "Vehicle safety standards (known as the Australian Design Rules) are falling well behind the highest in the world, which is Europe," she said. "And what that means is that we have vehicles which are legally allowed for sale in this country that get a zero safety star rating. "In fact, we've had a model that arrived in our country having had safety features removed, because they're not required here. So you might think that you've got an identical vehicles to what's being sold in Europe, but the Australian version is going to have had safety features removed. It's just not acceptable." When it comes to advanced technology in the Northern Hemisphere, there's a whole range of initiatives that can easily be implemented on home soil, Johnston said. "There's a lot that Europe is doing that we are nowhere near talking about," she said. "Europe, for many, many years, has had what they termed eCall — which means if your vehicle is in a crash, it will automatically call the emergency services with a geo-locator. New Aussie road regulation set to see popular car models scrapped Major change means certain cars are no longer available Millions urged to 'thoughtfully consider' car purchases amid trend "This saves incredibly valuable time in letting the emergency services know that there's a crash they need to attend and letting them know exactly where it is. We could implement that, but we haven't." Similar technology already exists in many smart phone models, meaning it's readily available, but just inadequately used. Not only that, there's also equipment that can detect drowsiness in drivers by monitoring eye movement. "When you're driving your car it will be monitoring if your eyes are maintaining contact with the road the way they should be and whether you're holding the steering wheel properly," Johnston said. "It alerts you if it thinks that your attention is distracted, or it thinks that you might be tired. Again, we don't mandate those things. We just rely on them filtering through from other countries. "But the manufacturers don't always do that. They say it's not mandatory. In Australia, they'd rather save a few dollars and leave it out." Johnston said as other nations push forward with stricter regulations and advanced technology, Australia continues to fall behind. The consequences of this lag are becoming increasingly evident, with road fatalities rising at an alarming rate. The reality is that without urgent action, she said, more lives will be lost unnecessarily. Strengthening vehicle safety standards, enforcing smarter road policies, and ensuring that cutting-edge technology is implemented should not be optional — it should be a national priority. "There's a lot that we could be doing, absolutely, a lot. But there just hasn't been the leadership shown from state and federal governments around the country to make it happen, and there needs to be." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
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 Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
