Australian Design Rules

The Australian Design Rules (ADRs) are Australia's national technical regulations for vehicle safety, theft resistance, and emissions. All new road vehicles manufactured in Australia and imported new or second-hand vehicles, must comply with the relevant ADRs when they are first supplied to the Australian market. The relevant State or Territory government legislation generally requires that it complies with the relevant ADRs as at the time of manufacture. The ADRs are largely based on and actively harmonised with the UN vehicle and equipment regulations. An ADR may directly specify technical and performance requirements, as well as allow alternative standards to be met instead. The alternative standards are typically the same UNECE regulations as those directly specified. Most ADRs have been fully harmonised with UNECE regulations, meaning that a manufacturer only needs to provide evidence of a UNECE approval, or a valid test to the requirements of a regulation, in order to demonstrate compliance with an ADR. Those ADRs that are only partially harmonised with UNECE Regulations require additional Australian requirements that must also be met. Where an ADR is harmonised, the base text of the UNECE regulation forms the main text of the ADR.

The ADRs use only the technical requirements of the ECE Regulations; the ECE system of type approval is not used. Instead, the ADRs are administered according to a self-certification system like that of the United States: manufacturers do not seek government-sanctioned testing or homologation; rather, they certify that their vehicles and regulated vehicle components comply with all applicable provisions of all applicable ADRs in effect on the date of manufacture. On vehicles, this certification is made by dint of the manufacturer affixing a "compliance plate" stating the vehicle's specifications and parameters, build date, identification number, and other required information along with a statement to the effect that the vehicle complies with all applicable ADRs.

Vehicles configured in accordance with the regulations of countries other than Australia are generally barred from import to Australia unless they are brought into compliance with applicable ADRs and the conversion work is inspected and certified by an authorised compliance engineer.

As of 2024, the standards are the Third Edition ADRs, introduced in July 1989. Since 1 July 2021, they have been administered by The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA). From July 1989 until 1 July 2021, they were administered by the department under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (MVSA).

According to Business Spectator climate reporter Tristan Edis, as of early 2014 Australia's emissions standards as specified in the ADRs lagged behind those of most developed countries, and Australia was one of only a few major economies without fuel economy standards applying to cars.

Development

The First Edition ADRs were only distributed for discussion and were not adopted as a legally binding set of Standards under either National or State/Territory law. The Second Edition ADRs came into effect on 1 January 1969 and were selectively applied under State/Territory law. They only applied to vehicles manufactured from 1 January 1969 onwards. The Third Edition ADRs became effective from 1 July 1988. In a transition period between 1 July 1988 and July 1989, the Second Edition ADRs were increasingly superseded by the Third Edition ADRs. They were made National Standards by 1 September 1989.

The Third Edition ADRs were initially a combination of active Second Edition ADRs and amendments made in the interim after they were first published. Amendments were made to ensure relevance, and new ADRs were added to cover new developments in road vehicle manufacturing and technology.

The application of ADRs for vehicles manufactured up until July 1989 is the responsibility of the State and Territory governments.