The Australian Government has announced that it will make autonomous emergency braking a mandatory requirement of all new light vehicles sold in Australia.
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is a safety technology that uses sensors to detect potential collisions in the road environment. The vehicle will then either provide a warning to the driver, or intervene and brake automatically.
There is a growing body of evidence that AEB has been effective in reducing rear end crashes and fatal crashes.
The Government will introduce an Australian Design Rule (ADR) that mandates AEB technology must be fitted in newly introduced car models from March 2023, and in all models on sale from March 2025.
ADRs set out the mandatory design requirements for any vehicles that will be sold on the Australian market with respect to environmental performance, theft protection and, in this case, safety.
The new ADR mandate for AEB has been given the thumbs up by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), Australia’s independent authority on car safety performance assessment.
Bicycle Network regularly engages with the ADR Development Program, to ensure that new ADRs, and amendments to existing ADRs, have the best outcomes for vulnerable road users.