Australia to Follow UN Rules on Vehicle Standards

The Australian government is linking its Australian Design Rules (ADRs) for motor vehicles with United Nations vehicle standards, a move applauded by the industry.

Every time a UN regulation is updated, the relevant ADR will be updated automatically, ensuring the latest technology is available in the Australian market as quickly as possible.

Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Jamie Briggs says in a statement the automatic adoption of UN regulations also removes unnecessary layers of bureaucratic process to further reduce red tape.

The first two standards in the reform program are UN regulations 19 on front fog lamps and 46 on rear-vision devices.

UN regulation 19 allows for testing methods that better represent real-world conditions for front fog lamps, while UN regulation 46 allows the introduction of new types of rear-vision devices and provides for more robust testing methods.

Briggs says applying the two standards is expected to deliver almost A$1 million ($852,000) 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.

“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,” he says.

“We are working through further UN regulations that can be applied, in close cooperation with industry as well as state and territory agencies, and will be making more announcements throughout next year.”

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries CEO Tony Weber says the harmonization of ADRs with international standards is a welcomed early result of the government's review of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act.