The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon Catherine King, has signed a new vehicle standard to reduce the risk of serious and fatal injury of vehicle occupants in a lateral side impact collision.
ADR 72/01 – Dynamic Side Impact Occupant Protection
Compared to previous ADR 72/00, The new specifies requirements to limit the forces, accelerations and deflections experienced during a lateral side impact collision, and introduces measures to prevent occupants from coming into direct contact with high voltage (HV) live parts in hybrid and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
The new standard specifies requirements for HV and rechargeable electrical energy storage system (REESS) safety measures during lateral side impact collisions, including the isolation of the HV system. Furthermore, ADR 72/01 mandates that REESS chemical leakage should not occur after impact.
Applicability for this new updated ADR
ADR 72/01 – Dynamic Side Impact Occupant Protection outlines requirements for MA, MB, MC and NA category vehicles, where the ‘R’ point of the lowest seat is not more than 700 mm from ground level.
The new standard will apply from 1 November 2026 for all new model vehicles and from 1 November 2028 for all vehicles.
Important advice about the extent of compliance of the current VTAs
If you like to extend your vehicle type approval to address an updated ADR, you will need to review your vehicle specifications, which are compliance with the new updated ADRs. if not, you will need to upgrade your vehicle with new components or system to meet the new ADRs . a few ADR tests will be required after the new version vehicle on a prototype.
