FLEETDRIVE
Under ADR 98 / 00, car-to-car Autonomous Emergency Braking( AEB) became mandatory for all new vehicle models introduced from 1 March 2023 and will apply to all new vehicles, regardless of model introduction, from 1 March 2025. The regulation was recently expanded under ADR 98 / 01 to require AEB systems capable of detecting pedestrians. This will come into effect for new model introductions from 1 August 2024 and for all new vehicles from 1 August 2026.
Electronic Stability Control( ESC) is already a long-standing requirement under ADR 88 / 00, which ensures passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are equipped with systems that help drivers maintain control in emergency manoeuvres. For heavy vehicles, both AEB and ESC are now required under ADR 97 / 00 and ADR 35 / 07, covering goods vehicles and buses over 3.5 tonnes. These rules were phased in from November 2023 for new models and will extend to all new vehicles by late 2024.
Lane Departure Warning Systems( LDWS) are the next step in this progression. Under ADR 99 / 00, lane departure warning will be required on omnibuses and medium to heavy goods vehicles( categories MD, ME, NB, and NC). The rule will apply from 1 September 2026 for new models and from 1 September 2028 for all heavy vehicles.
The government is also consulting on ADR 107 / 00, which proposes the introduction of
Emergency Lane Keeping Systems( ELKS) for passenger and light commercial vehicles. These systems would detect unintentional lane departures and automatically guide the vehicle back to the correct position. While not yet confirmed, this rule represents Australia’ s next major step toward harmonising with European safety regulations.
In addition, ADR 108 / 00 will make reversing cameras and motion sensors mandatory for all new vehicle models from 1 November 2025 and for all new vehicles made from existing models from 1 November 2027. These measures will significantly reduce the risk of reversing accidents, particularly in fleet depots and delivery operations.
Together, these ADRs represent a structured approach to improving vehicle safety performance. They ensure that new vehicles entering the Australian market are equipped with key technologies that prevent or mitigate crashes. For fleet operators, this not only enhances driver safety but also simplifies procurement by setting a clear minimum safety baseline for all new vehicles.
Global ADAS Mandates
Similar trends are evident worldwide. In Europe, the General Safety Regulation( GSR) mandates AEB, Intelligent Speed Assistance( ISA), Lane Keeping Assist, Drowsiness Detection, and Event Data Recorders for all new vehicles from 2024.
ISSUE 55 OCTOBER 2025 / WWW. AFMA. ORG. AU 27