Recent Australian Design Rule (ADR) Developments and Implementation ofUN Regulations in Australia

39th APEC Transportation Working GroupChristchurch, New Zealand31 March – 4 April 2014

Presenter’s name: Kate DeerOrganisation: Department of Infrastructure and Regional DevelopmentEconomy: Australia

• The Australian Design Rules (ADRs)• National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS)• Recent ADR developments– Electronic Stability Control (ESC)– Brake Assist Systems (BAS)– Antilock Braking Systems (ABS)

• Global Technical Regulation (GTR) on Pole Side Impact (PSI)

Topics

• Commonwealth legislation – Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989

• Uniform national vehicle standards covering safety, emissions, anti-theft

• Policy to harmonise with UN regulations– Contracting Party to UNECE 1958 and 1998 Agreements for

developing vehicle regulations– World Trade Organisation and Agreement on Technical

Barriers to Trade• ADRs developed and reviewed on an ongoing basis

The Australian Design Rules (ADRs)

• UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (DoA)– Global road safety crisis

• Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 (NRSS) closely aligned with the DoA

• NRSS agreed by Australian Transport Ministers in May 2011• Initiatives are grouped under four key areas:– Safe roads, safe speeds, safe vehicles, safe people

• Aims to reduce road deaths and serious injuries in Australia by 30 per cent by 2020.

National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) 2011-2020

• Under the NRSS, Australia is committed to considering a number of vehicle safety initiatives

• Over the past 12 months, in line with these commitments:– Australia has mandated through the ADRs:

• BAS for light passenger and light commercial vehicles• ESC for light commercial vehicles• ABS for heavy trucks and buses and ABS/load proportioning brake systems

for heavy trailers, which is also in line with the National Heavy Vehicle Braking Strategy (NHVBS) released in 2008

– Australia has continued to lead work through WP29 – the World Forum on Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations – on the development of a Global Technical Regulation (GTR) on Pole Side Impact

The NRSS and ADR Developments

• In November 2013, Australia mandated BAS for light passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles – Requirements apply from November 2015 and are aligned

with scope of UN Regulation 13-H – Braking of Passenger Cars

• BAS shown to reduce the number and severity of crashes involving vulnerable road users, but can have broader application to other types of crashes where braking is a factor.

Brake Assist Systems (BAS)

• In 2009, Australia mandated ESC for light passenger vehicles – Requirements applied from November 2011 for newly approved

models and from November 2013 for all remaining models, and are also aligned with UN R 13-H

• In November 2013, Australia extended requirements to have ESC to light commercial vehicles– Like BAS, requirements apply from November 2015 and are aligned

with scope of UN R 13-H• ESC helps drivers steer in the intended direction during a skid and is

effective at averting loss of control or run-off road crashes• The case for mandating ESC for heavy vehicles will be considered next, in

line with the NRSS and the National Heavy Vehicle Braking Strategy

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

• Australia has diverse range of heavy vehicles – important to ensure braking technologies are compatible

• The NHVBS was released in 2008 and has been incorporated into the NRSS• Under Phase I of the NHVBS, Australia has mandated ABS for heavy trucks and buses

and ABS or load proportioning brake systems for heavy trailers from July 2014• As part of these requirements:

– Trucks/buses equipped for towing must have facilities to power trailer Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) such as ABS/ESC, as well as provide the correct signalling for EBS operation where fitted

– Trailers with rear couplings must provide wiring suitable to transmit ABS/ESC/EBS functions to follow-on trailers

• Significant safety benefits for heavy vehicle industry• Phase II considers the case for ESC and is scheduled to commence this year.

Antilock Braking Systems (ABS) & the National Heavy Vehicle Braking Strategy (NHVBS)

• The Global Technical Regulation (GTR) on Pole Side impact (GTR 14) was adopted by WP29 on 13 November 2013

• Australia chaired the informal working group that developed the GTR

Global Technical Regulation on Pole Side Impact

GTR on Pole Side Impact – Safety Benefits• Vehicle occupant side impact fatalities account for around 20%

of the road toll in many countries (e.g. Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Korea, USA)

• Head injuries are a common cause of death in side impact crashes and serious brain injuries have very high lifetime costs

• The GTR performance requirements are expected to reduce vehicle occupant injury risk (particularly head injury risk) in pole side impact crashes as well as vehicle-to-vehicle side impact crashes

• The GTR establishes oblique vehicle-to-pole side impact performance requirements, including:– Head, thorax, abdominal and pelvis injury criteria limits– Door latch and hinge system integrity requirements– Post-crash fuel system integrity requirements

Summary of GTR performance requirements

The vehicle-to-pole side impact test• Moving vehicle to stationary rigid pole side impact• Oblique (75 degree) impact angle• Up to 32 km/h impact speed • 254 mm (10 inch) diameter rigid pole• WorldSID 50th percentile adult male (seated on the struck side of the vehicle)

– The most biofidelic side impact dummy available

Transposition of the GTR into a UN Regulation• Australia has transposed the GTR on Pole Side Impact into a

draft new UN Regulation which has been submitted to the UN WP 29 Working Party on Passive Safety (GRSP) for consideration at their 55th session, to be held 19-23 May 2014 in Geneva

Conclusions• There has been rapid expansion of safety research and

available safety technology in recent years• The ADR program works towards an agreed set of priorities in

line with international regulations through UN WP29 activities and also Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy 2011-20

Thank you