The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has submitted its response to the joint consultation led by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DIRTDCA) and National Transport Commission (NTC) on proposed automated vehicle safety reforms.
The FCAI welcomes the department and NTC’s leadership in developing a framework that aims to guarantee the safety of Australian motorists and to provide regulatory certainty to industry.
FCAI Director Emerging Technologies Richard Delplace highlights that “our members are primary actors in the development and deployment of AVs considering their technical know-how, engineering capabilities and manufacturing infrastructure, their established brands, distribution networks, customer bases, and their financial investments in the domain.
“Globally, our members are expanding on current Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) at Level 2 of automation and developing Level 3 and Level 4 automated solutions towards a longer-term potential for fully autonomous vehicles,” Mr Delplace said.
Key points from FCAI submission:
- Support for safety-first approach: We support the proposed framework’s emphasis on safety, which aligns with our unwavering commitment to vehicle and road safety. The FCAI notes that extensive administrative processes could deter innovation and delay the availability of Automated Vehicles (AVs) to the Australian market. We invite for a continued reflexion and collaboration to ensure the Australian regulations strike an optimal balance between control and technology deployment.
- Flexibility in legislative instruments: FCAI welcomes the proposed use of legislative instruments to define detailed requirements for ADS and ADSE (Automated Driving System Entities) certification processes. This flexibility is essential for adapting to the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
- Harmonisation with international standards: We support the efforts to align Australia’s ADS regulations with United Nations standards. This harmonisation is crucial for ensuring that Australia remains competitive and integrated within the global automotive market.
- National consistency and roadworthiness: We call for the Infrastructure Transport Ministers to go beyond the current in-principle agreement of national consistency of the state and territory road traffic legislations towards a more formally agreed and synchronised timeline that will provide the necessary certainty to industry. We also emphasise the need for consistent roadworthiness standards across states and territories as uniform inspection regimes will be vital for maintaining safety and public trust in ADS technologies.
- ADS repair and maintenance: To guarantee the safety of AVs in their operations, we recommend for ADSEs to have complete discretion – in the early stage of AV deployment – as to who they authorise to undertake repairs, maintenance, and modifications on the ADSs they bring to market. Opening these services to broader competition will first require a nationally consistent regulation of repairers, maintainers and modifiers to be established.
- Concerns over aftermarket ADS installations: FCAI advises against allowing aftermarket ADS retrofitting by third parties not affiliated with the original ADSE, citing significant challenges in managing the responsibilities between the different parties and risking to leave consumers stranded. The organisation recommends restricting such practices until the market matures.
FCAI continues to work with Government and stakeholders to refine the regulatory framework, ensure it promotes safety and innovation, and support the seamless integration of automated vehicles in Australia.