Australian Light Vehicle Standards Rules
1st Amendment Package
Explanation of Amendments
March 2016
Report outline
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Title
Australian Light Vehicle Standards Rules 1 Amendment Package –
Explanation of Amendments.
Type of report
Explanation of proposed amendments to the Australian Light Vehicle
Standards Rules.
Purpose
For approval by the Transport and Infrastructure Council.
Abstract
This report provides an explanation of the proposed amendments to the
Australian Light Vehicle Standards Rules 2015. The light vehicle standards
are being amended to ensure they remain contemporary, to clarify or
improve the operation of current rules and improve consistency with the
Australian Design Rules, and the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards)
National Regulation.
Submission details
Submissions will be accepted until 5 April 2016 online at www.ntc.gov.au or
by mail to:
Att: Australian Light Vehicle Standards Rules 2015
National Transport Commission
Level 15/628 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Key words
Australian Light Vehicle Standards Rules, amendments, maintenance,
Heavy Vehicle National Law, Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National
Regulation, Australian Design Rules.
Contact
National Transport Commission
Level 15/628 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: (03) 9236 5000
Email: [email protected]
www.ntc.gov.au
ISBN
978-1-921604-87-4
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Contents
Report outline
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1 Background
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2 Amendments
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1 Background
The Australian Light Vehicle Standards Rules 2015 (ALVSRs) are based on the Australian Design
Rules (ADRs) which are developed and administered by the Commonwealth Department of
Infrastructure and Regional Development. The ALVSRs require a vehicle that is subject to an ADR
when built or imported to continue to comply with that ADR. They also impose requirements in
relation to combinations, such as dimensional limits, which are not specified in the ADRs.
In-service vehicle standards were previously implemented by the Australian Vehicle Standards
Rules (AVSRs) and, in the case of heavy vehicles in jurisdictions participating in the Heavy Vehicle
National Law (HVNL), duplicated in the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation
(HV-VSNR).
In May 2015, the Transport and Infrastructure Council (the Council) agreed to remove all heavy
vehicle-specific provisions from the AVSRs, as well as the redrafting of all light vehicle standards to
better resemble the HV-VSNR, to create the ALVSRs. In November 2015, the Council approved
the new ALVSRs.
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Australian Light Vehicle Standards Rules 1 Amendment Package Explanation of Amendments March 2016
2 Amendments
2.1 Definition – Exempt vehicle
During the development of the ALVSRs the definition of exempt vehicle was amended to include a
vehicle that is at least 25 years old and is fitted as a police car or emergency vehicle. This had the
unintended policy effect of allowing these vehicles to be fitted with flashing lights. This subrule was
originally in Australian Vehicle Standards Rule (AVSR) 34 Horns, alarms etc.
It is proposed to remove the subrule that allows vehicles which are at least 25 years old and fitted
as police cars or emergency vehicles from the definition of exempt vehicle, and insert it into ALVSR
33 Horns, alarms etc. to achieve the original policy intent.
2.2 Rule 44 - Window tinting
It is proposed to amend the ALVSR 44 so that the luminous transmittance requirement of ‘not less
than 35%’ is changed to ‘not less than 20%’ for windows or interior partitions to the rear of the
driver, providing that the vehicle is fitted with at least one rear vision mirror to each side of the
vehicle.
For vehicles primarily designed for the carriage of goods it is proposed to allow ‘a luminous
transmittance of 0%’ for windows or interior partitions to the rear of the driver, providing that the
vehicle is fitted with at least one rear vision mirror to each side of the vehicle.
The proposed amendments will better align the ALVSRs with the ADRs.
2.3 Rule 73 - Headlights to be fitted to vehicles
The requirement that additional headlights must be fitted in pairs has been removed from the
ADRs.
The proposed amendment will better align the ALVSRs with the ADRs by allowing up to four
additional headlights to be fitted to a vehicle, if they are fitted in a way so that they are facing
forward and symmetrical in relation to the vehicle’s centre line.
ALVSR 76 requires that additional headlights be fitted in pairs. It is proposed to omit this rule as the
amendment to ALVSR 73 renders this rule irrelevant.
2.4 Rule 94 - Fitting brake lights
ALVSR 94(2) requires that vehicles built after 1959 be fitted with a pair of brake lights.
ALVSR 94(6) requires that if only one brake light is fitted to either a motor vehicle or motor trike
built before 1959 or a trailer built after June 1973 then it must be in the centre of the vehicle’s rear.
A problem arises when vehicles are fitted with brake lights that can also be used as direction
indicator lights. If a driver activates the right direction indicator light on a vehicle fitted with brake
lights that can also be used as direction indicator lights. The light on the right side of the vehicle
flashes while the light on the left hand side remains solid, in this instance the vehicle is
contravening ALVSRs 94(2) & (6).
The proposed amendment will clarify that vehicles fitted with a brake light that also functions as a
direction indicator light are taken to be fitted with a brake light if the vehicle was built before
1 January 1973.
2.5 Rule 134 - Exhaust systems
The ADRs have been updated to only include exhaust placement requirements for buses and
enclosed motor trikes. The proposed amendment will align the ALVSRs with the ADRs by only
including exhaust placement requirements for those vehicles.
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Australian Light Vehicle Standards Rules 1 Amendment Package Explanation of Amendments March 2016
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