AEB to be mandated in new cars from 2023

THE Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has officially welcomed the Australian federal government’s decision to introduce a new Australian Design Rule (ADR) mandating the fitment of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) in all new light vehicles sold from March 2023 and on all models on sale in Australia from March 2025.

Although slightly behind the implementation of similar regulations in Europe, with timeframes of July 2022 and July 2024 respectively, ANCAP says the newly introduced legislation (introduced on 25 October 2021) will significantly reduce the incidence of nose-to-tail accidents and close the gap on the remaining 10 per cent of models sold locally without the potentially life-saving technology.

“Today’s announcement by the Australian government to mandate autonomous emergency braking is a welcome step in closing the gap to ensure all new vehicles are equipped with this life-saving technology,” ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg.

“A key role played by ANCAP is to build consumer awareness, confidence, and demand for vehicle safety features and technologies through its non-regulatory approach.

“AEB has consistently been shown to improve safety outcomes, and our latest analysis of new light vehicle sales shows 89.5 per cent of all new vehicles sold, 222 models, were available with AEB,” she said.

Australian Design Rule 98/00 (car-tocar AEB) and 98/01 (car-to-pedestrian AEB) implements the provisions of United Nations Regulation 152 for the Australian market and will apply to all passenger cars, off-road passenger vehicles, and light commercial vehicles (LCVs).

The legislation does not apply to mopeds, trikes, or motorcycles, and is yet to be applied to heavy commercial vehicles and buses.

ANCAP says that AEB has been shown to reduce police-reported crashes by 55 per cent, rear-end crashes by 40 per cent, and vehicle occupant trauma by 28 per cent.

It says that the considerable safety benefits offered by the introduction of the latest ADRs, and the ongoing evolution in the sophistication of AEB systems, is estimated to save as many as 580 lives and avoid 20,400 series and 73,340 minor injuries for a net benefit of “close to” $1.9 billion.

Ms Hoorweg commended the Australian market on its uptake of AEB technology to date, but said voluntary fitment alone would not achieve the full-market coverage required to realise the full benefits of the technology.

“This is a significant achievement, and the automotive industry is to be congratulated for its efforts in achieving such a high fitting rate ahead of regulatory intervention,” Ms Hoorweg added.

“Voluntary fitment alone, however, cannot achieve full market coverage. The mandating of AEB will push manufacturers that have been slow to introduce this technology to catch up – ensuring 100 per cent of new Australian vehicles will have the benefit of AEB from March 2025.”

ANCAP has been vocal in encouraging the voluntary fitment of AEB technology across the Australian and New Zealand car parc through its community awareness and advocacy activities since 2012, and more formally via its safety testing and star-rating program since 2015.