Reversing Aid Technologies in vehicles

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.

Pedestrians form the largest single road user group and have no protection against vehicle impacts. Reversing collisions often affect small children and the elderly who may be less aware of their surroundings and are particularly vulnerable to sustaining fatal or severe injuries when hit. Often such incidences create a particularly distressing situation for the parties involved, as well as the broader community due to the age and vulnerability of the victims and the driver is often a close family member of the victim.

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.

ADR 108/00 is a new regulation based on the United Nations Regulation No. 158. It specifies technical and performance requirements for reversing technologies fitted to light, medium and heavy vehicles.

The Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) below analyses this issue and shows that 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.

We are 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.

You can have your say by providing a submission. You can also complete and attach the consultation feedback form if you would like to provide detailed feedback.

Relevant documentation