Plan To Mandate Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems From 2025

Draft ADR proposes to mandate Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems for light vehicles from January 2025 and heavy vehicles from November 2025

Earlier this year, the Federal Department of Infrastructure released a draft impact analysis evaluating the costs and benefits of adopting international regulations mandating Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) for hybrid, electric, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Whilst the final impact analysis has not yet been released, the Department has issued an exposure draft of the proposed ADR 113/00 and an explanatory statement and is seeking comment by Friday, December 22, 2023.

Release of these documents and collation of feedback now will expedite the ADR drafting process later, following the Department’s policy decision.

It is important to note the draft impact analysis only proposes to mandate AVAS for light vehicles (MA, MB, MC and NA category) from January 2025.

In response to the feedback received during the public consultation, the final impact analysis is expected to also consider the case from mandating AVAS for other vehicles, including heavy vehicles (MD, ME, NB and NC) from November 2025. That change is reflected in the exposure draft.

The technical requirements of the draft ADR are that all electrified passenger (M Category) and goods carrying (N category) vehicles that can be propelled in the normal mode, in reverse or at least one forward drive gear, without an internal combustion engine operating, must be fitted with an AVAS that produces an audible signal that meets the ADR requirements.

The purpose of the signal is to alert vulnerable road users to the presence of a moving vehicle.

Vehicles must produce a minimum level of sound when moving at speeds of less than 20 km/h. This is because vehicles travelling faster than 20 km/h are considered to produce sufficient road noise from tyres in motion. The frequency of the sound produced by AVAS is required to shift when the vehicle is accelerating or decelerating.

As the exposure draft of the ADR and its explanatory statement are not publicly available, interested members are advised to reach out to HVIA Chief Technical Officer Adam Ritzinger at a.ritzinger@hvia.asn.au to receive a copy of the documents.