Australian government seeks feedback on mandating acoustic devices for EVs

The Australian government is calling for public submissions on whether new electric vehicles sold in Australia should be fitted with audio alerting systems.

The consultation is being conducted by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and The Arts and is taking submissions until May 26.

Public submissions will help to decide whether acoustic vehicle alerting systems (AVAS) for electric vehicles should be mandated in Australia.

Through the National Road Safety Action Plan 2023-25, the Australian Government has committed to mandating AVAS for electric vehicles, subject to the outcomes of an impact analysis process.

“Electric vehicles generate considerably less noise when compared with vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines,” the government document says.

“At low speeds, when tyre and wind noise is negligible, it can be harder for pedestrians to hear electric vehicles, increasing the risk of a collision. These collisions can still cause serious injury and death. The risk is exacerbated for pedestrians who are blind or have poor vision, as they generally rely on sound to negotiate the road network independently.”

The government says to mitigate this risk, most major vehicle markets overseas have mandated that electric vehicles be fitted with Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS), which generate noise when vehicles are travelling at low speeds. An international regulation has been developed for AVAS, United Nations Regulation 138/01 (UN R138/01).

The government is seeking feedback on:

• Support for the proposed introduction of AVAS for new light electric vehicles in Australia.
• The benefit-cost analysis, including assumptions on the effectiveness of AVAS, the costs and the benefits.
• The suitability of adopting UN R138/01 as a new Australian Design Rule (ADR) under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, including any concerns on functional, performance and test requirements.
• Applicable vehicle categories, implementation timeframes, and alternative standards.
• Any other relevant views or information that could assist in decision-making.

The government says that at this stage, it’s proposing to introduce AVAS for light electric vehicles (vehicle categories MA, MB, MC and NA).

Risk Greater for the Blind and Low Vision Community

The consultation impact analysis finds that electric vehicles are of particular concern for blind and low vision pedestrians, given their reliance on sound to negotiate the road network independently.

As part of this study, Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) conducted a survey of 246 people who all had a degree of vision loss that cannot be corrected.

When asked about collisions or near-collisions with electric vehicles (excluding bicycles), 35 per cent (86) of participants indicated they had been involved in either a collision, near collision or both, and some more than once. The majority of these events occurred while crossing a road (58 per cent).

Participants in the study were asked to reflect on whether the introduction of electric vehicles in Australia had reduced their confidence to walk near and cross roads.

Vehicle anti-collision software such as Tesla’s Autopilot that can identify pedestrians and cyclists around the vehicle and take evasive action to avoid accidents is developing rapidly.

While the ability to hear EVs is important for the blind community to have the confidence to navigate safely, reducing the total number of vehicles in our cities by making them bicycle and pedestrian friendly would have an even greater impact.

Submissions can be made  by following this link.