The Government is moving to harmonised Australian Design Rules, largely as a red tape cutting measure.
In assistant minister for infrastructure and regional development, Jaime Briggs, own words: “There is just no need for these regulations anymore.”
Briggs – speaking at the 2014 National Road Safety Forum – says the government wants to accelerate the harmonisation of Australian Design Rules (ADR) with regulations developed by the United Nations World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulation. This will mean that when the UN regulations are updated, the ADRs are automatically updated.
“This move will provide consumers with access to the safest new vehicles from the global market immediately and at the lowest possible cost. It will also mean removing obsolete standards in the ADRs.
“There are requirements in the ADRs that regulate lavatory closets, urinals, basins and sinks and the colour or painting of mudguards, tray bodies and rear bumper bars,” Briggs adds. There is also an ADR requirement for mudguard extensions on motorbikes.
According to Briggs: “This may seem a trivial thing, but in many cases it involved design work and retooling, as well as fitment, on a substantial portion of the 70,000 motorcycles entering the Australian market annually. Last week, we removed this requirement, providing savings to manufacturers and consumers of $14.4 million each year.”
By reducing red tape Briggs believes the government will have more time to look into other key issues affecting vehicles and motorbike road safety, and will also allow the government to work with the international community as future UN regulations are developed. In the near term, this includes:
* Implementing the Global Technical Regulation on pole side Impact;
* Considering mandating anti-lock brake systems on motorcycles; and
* Considering mandating electronic stability control on heavy vehicles.
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