Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 21/00 – Instrument Panel) 2006 Amendment 1

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 21/00 – Instrument Panel) 2006

Made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989

Explanatory Statement

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport,

Regional Development and Local Government

February 2008

CONTENTS

1. legislative context................................................

2. content and effect of ADR 21/00 - Instrument Panel......................

3. consulation......................................................

1.                        legislative context

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 21/00 — Instrument Panel) 2006 is made under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (the Act).  The Act enables the Australian Government to establish nationally uniform standards for road vehicles when they are first supplied to the market in Australia.  The Act applies to such vehicles whether they are manufactured in Australia or are imported as new or second hand vehicles.

The making of the vehicle standards necessary for the Act's effective operation is provided for in section 7 which empowers the Minister to "determine vehicle standards for road vehicles or vehicle components".

1.                        content and effect of ADR 21/00 - Instrument Panel
   1.                  Overview of the ADR

The function of this Australian Design Rule is to specify requirements for the instrument panel to reduce its injury potential to occupants on impact.

1.                  Changes to the ADR

The following changes have been made to the ADR:

The inclusion of Appendix A, the technical provisions of the standard as adopted by the United Nations Economic Community of Europe (UNECE) Regulation No. 21 – Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Vehicles with Regard to their Interior Fittings. 

The acceptance of UNECE R 21/01 as an alternative standard.

The inclusion of Appendix B, provisions for the Australian Standard.

1.                  Documents Incorporated by Reference

This section lists documents referenced in the vehicle standard and how they can be obtained.  The parentheses after the document title indicates where it is referenced.

• Australian Design Rules can be purchased on CD-ROM from the Department of Transport and Regional Services or can be downloaded from http://www.dotars.gov.au/roads/motor/design/adr_online.aspx.
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• Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards can be obtained from the US Department of Transport, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/.
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• UNECE Regulations are available from their website, http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs.html.
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• Society of Automotive Engineers documents can be purchased from their website http://www.sae.org.

1.                        consulation
   1.                  General Consultation Arrangements

It has been longstanding practice to consult widely on proposed new or amended vehicle standards.  For many years there has been active collaboration between the Federal and the State/Territory Governments, as well as consultation with industry and consumer groups.  Much of the consultation takes place within institutional arrangements established for this purpose.  The analysis and documentation prepared in a particular case, and the bodies consulted, depend on the degree of impact the new or amended standard is expected to have on industry or road users.

Depending on the nature of the proposed changes, consultation could involve the Technical Liaison Group (TLG), Transport Agencies Chief Executives (TACE), and the Australian Transport Council (ATC).

• TLG consists of representatives of government (Australian and State/Territory), the manufacturing and operational arms of the industry (including organisations such as the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Australian Trucking Association) and of representative organisations of consumers and road users (particularly through the Australian Automobile Association).
• TACE consists of the chief executives of Australian and State/Territory departments of transport and road vehicle administrations.
• ATC consists of the Australian, State/Territory and New Zealand Ministers with responsibility for transport issues.

Editorial changes and changes to correct errors are processed by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.  This approach is only used where the amendments do not vary the intent of the vehicle standard.

New standards, or significant changes that increase the stringency of existing standards, are subject to a simple majority vote by ATC Ministers.  Following the vote, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government may then determine the new or amended standards.  Proposals that are regarded as significant need to be supported by a Regulation Impact Statement meeting the requirements of the Office of Best Practice Regulation as published in Best Practice Regulation Handbook. 

1.                  Regulation Impact Statement

See attached.