Priorities for Future Vehicle Safety Regulation in Australasia (MUARC Report No. 370).

The fitment of effective vehicle safety technology to light and heavy vehicles has the potential to significantly reduce road trauma for vehicle drivers and passengers and protect vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. Mandating such technology can accelerate fitment into the vehicle fleet and lead to significant savings in road trauma and social costs.

In Europe, the EC adopted a new vehicle safety General Safety Regulation 2019/2144 (GSR2) with the aim of accelerating fitment of advanced safety features to all light and heavy vehicles in the EU to assist with meeting strategic road safety targets through a range of mandatory advanced driver assistant systems. The current project assessed the potential road safety benefits of adopting specific components of the EU GSR2 in Australia and New Zealand as well as some additional components.

For light vehicles in Australia, the technologies Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), Alcohol Interlock (ALC) and Drowsiness and Distraction Recognition (DDR) – Driver drowsiness are likely to have the greatest benefit in terms of the number of fatalities and serious injuries predicted to be saved under a scenario of 100% fitment. Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), Alcohol Interlock (ALC) and Drowsiness and Distraction Recognition (DDR) – Driver drowsiness are sensitive to all crashes. The high proportion of crashes that have speeding, alcohol and fatigue as contributory factors, means that these three technologies have the largest potential social cost savings. Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Daytime Running Lights and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) also include a large proportion of crashes as sensitive to each technology.

For New Zealand, Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) – Light & Heavy vehicles, Drowsiness and Distraction Recognition (DDR) – Driver drowsiness – Light & Heavy vehicles, Autonomous Emergency Braking for Pedestrians and Cyclists (AEB-PCD), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) – Light vehicles and Adult Head to Windscreen Area Protection (HED) – Light vehicles, are likely to have the greatest benefit in terms of the number of fatalities and serious injuries predicted to be saved under a scenario of 100% fitment. The technologies Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) – Light vehicles and Alcohol Interlock (ALC) – Light & Heavy vehicles are next in terms of future priority.

Priorities identified for heavy vehicles include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Direct Vision and VRU detection (VIS), Electronic Stability Control and Rollover Stability Control, and Lane Departure Warning Systems.