Safe vehicles

Most vehicle crashes can be attributed to driver error, rather than vehicle defects. Australian research has shown that less than 3% of fatal crashes could be attributed to vehicle condition, and half of these were related to tyre faults, a type of defect which can be readily identified in random inspections of the type undertaken in the ACT.

The ACT participates in national forums developing and maintaining standards for new vehicles entering the Australian market. The Australian Design Rules (ADRs) are rules for designing and building vehicles and are developed through a  consultative process involving government and industry representatives.

The Australian Vehicle Standards Rules 1999 set standards that vehicles must comply with before being driven on public roads and road related areas. These Rules require that a vehicle that is subject to an ADR when built or imported must continue to comply with that ADR. These national standards are adopted in the ACT through the Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Regulation 2000.

The ACT has a continuing vehicle inspection program, which includes random on-road and car park vehicle inspections. Vehicle inspections are also required on first registration in the ACT, to clear a defect notice, on transfer of registration for light vehicles over six years of age, for heavy vehicles (every two years) and for taxis and hire cars (annually).

• General ACT Vehicle information 
• Australian Design Rules (ADR’s)  
• Australian Vehicle Standards Rules 1999   
• How Safe is Your Car?  
• Reporting a Defective Vehicle