Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 – Instrumentation) 2006

Administered by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Legislation au F2006L02735 In force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 – Instrumentation) 2006

Compilation: 1 (up to and including Amendment 1)

 

Compilation Date: 13/12/2006

 

Compiled by: Vehicle Safety Standards, Department of Transport and Regional Services.

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

18.0. legislative provisions.............................................3

Purpose and SCOPE.....................................................3

APPLICABILITY......................................................3

18.1. DEFINITIONS..................................................4

18.2. `VISUAL INDICATORS' FOR MA VEHICLES ONLY..................5

18.3. LOCATION OF 'VISUAL INDICATORS' FOR MA VEHICLES ONLY.....5

18.4. VISIBILITY OF 'VISUAL INDICATORS' FOR MA VEHICLES ONLY....6

18.5. SPEEDOMETERS AND ODOMETERS (ALL VEHICLES).............7

NOTES ..............................................................8

 


  1.                                 legislative provisions
    1.                           NAME OF STANDARD
      1.                     This Standard is the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 – Instrumentation) 2006.
      2.                     This Standard may also be cited as Australian Design Rule 18/00 — Instrumentation.
    2.                           COMMENCEMENT
      1.                     This Standard commences on the day after it is registered.
    3.                           REPEAL
      1.                     This Standard repeals each vehicle standard with the name Australian Design Rule 18/00 — Instrumentation that is:

(a) made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989; and

(b) in force at the commencement of this Standard.

  1.                     This Standard also repeals each instrument made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 that creates a vehicle standard with the name Australian Design Rule 18/00 — Instrumentation, if there are no other vehicle standards created by that instrument, or amendments to vehicle standards made by that instrument, that are still in force at the commencement of this Standard.

Purpose and SCOPE

This Australian Design Rule (ADR) is part of the Australian motor vehicle standard system and is a national standard for the purposes of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989.

The function of this Australian Design Rule is to specify requirements for the provision and location of certain `Visual Indicators'.  It also specifies requirements for speedometers and odometers.

APPLICABILITY

This ADR applies to the design and construction of vehicles as set out in the table hereunder. The Package 17 issue of /00 updates Clause 18.4.12 to the new ASTM Standard.

 


Vehicle Category

ADR Category Code [*]

UNECE Category Code *

Manufactured on or After

Acceptable Prior Rules

Moped 2 wheels

LA

L1

Not Applicable

 

Moped 3 wheels

LB

L2

Not Applicable

 

Motor cycle

LC

L3

1 July 1988

Nil

Motor cycle and sidecar

LD

L4

1 July 1988

Nil

Motor tricycle

LE

L5

1 March 1991

Nil

Passenger car

MA

M1

1 July 1988

Nil

Forward-control passenger vehicle

MB

M1

1 July 1988

Nil

Off-road passenger vehicle

MC

M1

1 July 1988

Nil

Light omnibus

MD

M2

 

 

up to 3.5 tonnes ‘GVM’ and up to 12 seats

MD1

 

1 July 1988

Nil

up to 3.5 tonnes ‘GVM’ and more than 12 seats

MD2

 

1 July 1988

Nil

over 3.5 tonnes and up to 4.5 tonnes ‘GVM’

MD3

 

1 July 1988

Nil

over 4.5 tonnes and up to 5 tonnes ‘GVM’

MD4

 

1 July 1988

Nil

Heavy omnibus

ME

M3

1 July 1988

Nil

Light goods vehicle

NA

N1

1 July 1988

Nil

Medium goods vehicle

NB

N2

 

 

over 3.5 tonnes up to 4.5 tonnes ‘GVM’

NB1

 

1 July 1988

Nil

over 4.5 tonnes up to 12 tonnes ‘GVM’

NB2

 

1 July 1988

Nil

Heavy goods vehicle

NC

N3

1 July 1988

Nil

Very light trailer

TA

O1

Not Applicable

 

Light trailer

TB

O2

Not Applicable

 

Medium trailer

TC

O3

Not Applicable

 

Heavy trailer

TD

O4

Not Applicable

 

  1.                                 DEFINITIONS
    1.                           Refer to Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule Definitions and Vehicle Categories) 2005.
    2.                           'Visual Indicator' - that part of an instrument or device intended to display information for the driver and includes any specified label
    3.                           'Totally Visible' - means that the sum of the view from each of the 2 eyes includes all the ‘Visual Indicators'.

  1.                                 `VISUAL INDICATORS' FOR MA VEHICLES ONLY
    1.                           The display of information presented by the following 'Visual Indicators', if fitted. shall be subject to control under this Rule:

Group I

(a) Speedometer

(b) Direction indicator "tell-tale" lamp or lamps

(c) High beam indicator

Group II

(d) Tachometer

(e) Odometer

(f) Service brake failure indicator lamp

(g) Parking brake indicator lamp

(h) Stop lamp failure indicator

(i) Oil temperature indictor

(j) Pressure indicator

(k) Water temperature indicator

(l) Battery charge failure indicator

(m) Fuel level indicator.

  1.                           In cases where more than one 'Visual Indicator' are provided for any one of the functions covered by (h) to (m) above, and are not located as specified in Clause 18.3.2 a common indicator which could be either visual or an audible signal may be used to draw attention to the need to refer to a group of indicators located elsewhere.
    1.                     In such cases the common indicator, if visual, shall be totally located within the area specified in Clause 18.3.2.
  1.                                 LOCATION OF 'VISUAL INDICATORS' FOR MA VEHICLES ONLY
    1.                           All 'Visual Indicators' specified as Group I in Clause 18.2 shall be totally located between 2 vertical planes inclined at 20o left and 20o right of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and passing through the foremost points of the left and right '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses' respectively. Such indicators shall be totally located above a plane inclined downwards at 35o from the horizontal and including a horizontal transverse line through the foremost points of each of the '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses' and below a plane tangential to the bottom of the '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses' which includes a line at ground level transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 11 m forward of the rearmost eye ellipse point.
    2.                           All 'Visual Indicators' specified as Group II in Chase 18.2 shall be totally located between 2 vertical planes inclined at 40o' left and 25o right of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and passing through the foremost points of the left and right '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses' respectively. Such indicators shall be totally located above a plane inclined downwards at 35o from the horizontal and including a horizontal transverse line through the foremost points of each of the '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses' and below a plane tangential to the bottom of the '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses' which includes a line at ground level, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 11 m forward of the rearmost eye ellipse point'.
  2.                                 VISIBILITY OF 'VISUAL INDICATORS' FOR MA VEHICLES ONLY
    1.                           The requirements of Clauses 18.4.1.1 and 18.4.1.2 shall be met when:

(a)  the steering wheel is in the straight ahead position;

(b)  the direction indicator lever is in the “Neutral” Position;

(c)  in the case of column change automatic transmission vehicles the gear selector is in the “Drive" position;

(d)  in the case of column change manual transmission vehicles with 2 or 3 forward gear ratios, the gear selector is in "Top” gear position;

(e)  in the case of column change manual transmission vehicles with more than 3 forward gear ratios, the gear selector is in 'Top" gear position or the next lower gear position whichever is the more critical in terms of obscuration of 'Visual Indicators’'.

  1.                     All 'Visual Indicators' other than indicator lamps shall be 'Totally visible' when viewed from each pair of eye positions located by the '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses' except that
    1.               in the case of Group I ‘Visual Indicators', the portion of the steering wheel rim including its supporting arms that is below a plane tangential to the top of the '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses' and the underside of the highest rim cross section cut normal to the rim, shall not constitute an obstruction;
    2.               in the case of Group II 'Visual Indicators' the steering wheel rim and its supporting arms and attachments thereto shall not constitute obstructions.
  2.                     Any object which represents an obstruction to any single eye position within the terms of Clause 18.4.1.1 shall have no surfaces, in the line of sight to the ‘Visual Indicator', which present a metal finish with a 'Specular Gloss' exceeding 40 units when measured by the 20 degree geometry method of ASTM Standard D523 62T "Specular Gloss" June 1962 or ASTM Standard D523-85T-"Specular Gloss", September 1985.
  3.                     All indicator lamp ‘Visual Indicators' shall either be 'Totally Visible', or an area of not less than 18 square millimetres with dimensions such that a 2 mm diameter circle is totally enclosed within the area, shall be 'Totally Visible’ when viewed from each single eye position located by the '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses'. The obstruction exemptions provided for in Clause 18.4.1.1 shall also be applicable to this Clause.
  4.                     In the case of a motor vehicle provided with a steering wheel capable of axial and vertical adjustments, it shall be demonstrated that for any eye position located by the '95th Percentile Eye Ellipses', there is at least one steering wheel position where the requirements of Clauses 18.4.1.1 to 18.4.1.3 are complied with.
  1.                           The vehicle speed indicating element shall be of such colour or contrast as to differentiate it from the viewed background.
  2.                           All 'Visual Indicators’ other than indicator lamps shall be provided with variable intensity when illuminated.

Note: A switch which provides a means of varying the illumination to ‘Visual Indicators', but is not integral with the on/off control for the illumination of ‘Visual Indicators' is acceptable as a means of providing variable intensity illumination to 'Visual Indicators'. It shall be acceptable for the intensity control to have not less than 2 levels of adjustment other than an "off" position provided that each position results in a substantially different level of illumination to 'Visual Indicators'.

  1.                                 SPEEDOMETERS AND ODOMETERS (ALL VEHICLES)
    1.                           Speedometers
      1.                     Unless otherwise 'Approved', every vehicle shall be fitted with a speedometer which shall:
        1.               indicate vehicle speed only in kilometres per hour and
        2.               indicate the actual vehicle speed, for all speeds above 40 km/h, to an accuracy of ± 10 percent
      2.                     The speedometer shall be installed so that its indication is readily visible to the driver when seated in the normal driving position.
    2.                           Odometers
      1.                     Every vehicle other than L-group vehicles shall be fitted with an odometer which shall:
        1.               indicate distance travelled in one kilometre units (or less) from 1 to 999,999 kilometres; and
        2.               indicate the actual distance travelled by the vehicle to an accuracy of 4 per cent.
      2.                     Every vehicle of category LC and LD shall be fitted with an odometer which shall:
        1.               indicate distance travelled in one kilometre units from I to 99,999 kilometres and
        2.               indicate the actual distance travelled by the vehicle to an accuracy of ± 4 percent

NOTES

This compilation of Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 - Instrumentation) 2006 includes all the instruments set out in the Table of Instruments.  The Table of Amendments provides a history of clauses that have been amended, inserted or deleted.

 

Table of Instruments

Name of Instrument

Registration Date

Commencement Date

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 - Instrumentation) 2006

18/08/2006

19/08/2006

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 - Instrumentation) 2006 Amendment 1

13/12/2006

14/12/2006

 

Table of Amendments

Clause affected

How affected

Amending instrument

18.2.1(c)

am

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 - Instrumentation) 2006 Amendment 1

18.2.2

am

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 - Instrumentation) 2006 Amendment 1

18.3.2

am

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 - Instrumentation) 2006 Amendment 1

18.4.1.2

am

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 - Instrumentation) 2006 Amendment 1

18.5.2.1.1

am

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 - Instrumentation) 2006 Amendment 1

 

ad = added or inserted

am = amended

del = deleted or removed

rr = removed and replaced

= clause renumbered. This takes the format of old no. new no.

[*] The category code may also be in the format L1, LA etc.

Overview

The Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 – Instrumentation) 2006 was enacted to establish uniform standards for the instrumentation in motor vehicles, particularly focusing on the visibility and placement of 'visual indicators' and the specifications for speedometers and odometers. This legislation was introduced to address the need for consistent and clear display of critical driving information, ensuring driver safety and compliance with national motor vehicle standards. The enacting body was the Parliament of Australia under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989. The policy objective of this Standard was to ensure that all vehicles, irrespective of their category, meet specific requirements for instrumentation, thus enhancing road safety by making essential information readily accessible to drivers. This legislation repealed all previous standards under the Australian Design Rule 18/00 – Instrumentation that were in force at the time of its enactment.

Scope and Application

The Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 – Instrumentation) 2006 applies nationally across Australia and mandates specific requirements for the design and construction of motor vehicles concerning their instrumentation, including the placement, visibility, and functionality of visual indicators and other components like speedometers and odometers. This standard applies to various vehicle categories, from mopeds and motorcycles to passenger cars, light and heavy omnibuses, and light, medium, and heavy goods vehicles, among others. The standard specifies detailed rules for the location and visibility of visual indicators, such as speedometers, tachometers, and various warning indicators, to ensure they are easily and clearly visible to the driver. Additionally, it sets precise standards for the accuracy and installation of speedometers and odometers across all vehicle types. This legislative instrument provides the foundational guidelines and specifications for compliance with vehicle safety and performance standards in Australia.

Key Provisions

The Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/00 – Instrumentation) 2006 (ADR 18/00) sets out the requirements for the instrumentation in motor vehicles, particularly focusing on visual indicators and speedometers/odometers. Section 18.2 specifies the visual indicators that must be provided for Motor Vehicles (MA), including speedometers, direction indicator lamps, high beam indicators, tachometers, and various warning lamps. These indicators must be located within specific zones relative to the driver's field of vision, as outlined in Section 18.3. Section 18.4 mandates that all visual indicators, except for indicator lamps, must be "Totally Visible," meaning that they can be seen entirely by both eyes when positioned correctly. Indicator lamps must either be totally visible or have a sufficiently large visible area. Speedometers and odometers, covered in Section 18.5, must meet specific accuracy and display requirements. Speedometers must show speed in kilometres per hour and be accurate within ±10% above 40 km/h. Odometers must indicate distance in kilometres and be accurate within ±4%. These requirements apply to all vehicles except those in the L-group, which must indicate distance in kilometres up to 99,999 km with the same accuracy. The ADR imposes several obligations on manufacturers and entities involved in the design and construction of motor vehicles. Manufacturers must ensure that visual indicators are located as specified and are either totally visible or meet the visibility standards outlined in Section 18.4. Speedometers and odometers must adhere to the accuracy requirements in Section 18.5. These standards are crucial for ensuring driver safety and compliance with national vehicle standards. The legislation also includes detailed specifications for the appearance and functionality of these instruments, ensuring they are user-friendly and reliable. Breaching the provisions of this Standard can lead to significant consequences. While specific penalties are not detailed within the text, non-compliance can result in vehicles being deemed unfit for road use, leading to potential fines, vehicle recalls, or other regulatory actions under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989. Continuous adherence to these standards is essential to avoid legal repercussions and ensure public safety on Australian roads.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Vehicle Regulation
Instrument
Legislative Instrument
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Compliance Obligations
Regulatory Standards

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.