A consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) has been released, as feedback is sought around a proposed new Australian Design Rule that would mandate reversing technologies on light, medium and heavy vehicles.
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications is seeking feedback around ADR 108/00, a new regulation based on the United Nations Regulation No. 158, that specifies technical and performance requirements for reversing technologies fitted to vehicles.
According to the RIS, introducing ADR 108/00 is estimated to save 12 lives, and avoid 340 serious and 152 minor injuries over 35 years and will provide a likely net benefit of $38.5 million to the Australian community.
The Department is seeking feedback on the proposed RIS and regulation including:
- Support for the recommended option.
- The assumptions used for the benefit-cost analysis, including data to support actual effectiveness of the technology, the costs or the assumed benefits.
- The suitability of ADR 108/00 for adoption under the Australian Design Rules, including any comments on functional and/or performance requirements, test requirements or implementation, such as the applicable vehicle categories and timing.
- Any other relevant views or information.
“Reversing collisions involving a vehicle and a pedestrian or a vulnerable road user such as a cyclist are generally rare occurrences with low number of cases reported each year. However, the prevalence of such collisions tends to be underestimated as the majority of these collisions and injuries sustained are often outside the scope of official road injury record systems which are focussed on public roads,” the Department said.
“Reversing aid technologies increase the driver’s awareness or vision of vulnerable road users behind a vehicle, reducing the number of reversing collisions with pedestrians that result in severe or fatal injuries. Currently the installation of these technologies is not regulated with voluntary fitment of reversing aids occurring either during vehicle manufacture or in-service through aftermarket modifications.”
To view the RIS or to provide feedback, please click here.