Automated vehicle technology is advancing rapidly and has the potential to be a real game changer for road transport, by supporting safer, more efficient road travel.
However, current laws do not allow for the general use of automated vehicles – including automated cars, trucks and buses - on our roads. We're working on behalf of Australia's transport ministers to make the most of this technology in a safe way.
The National Transport Commission (NTC) and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) have been working alongside state and territory governments to create a set of rules for automated vehicle safety.
The NTC consulted on this regulatory framework and in 2022 transport ministers agreed the Automated Vehicle Safety Law (AVSL) will be a Commonwealth law.
We are now translating the policies that were agreed by Ministers into legislation to manage the safe operation of automated vehicles on our public roads.
As part of our work, we recently conducted a public consultation on the proposed regulatory framework as a whole, including how the law should keep modifications, repairs and remote operation of automated vehicles safe, and how to make sure consumers get the information they need about automated vehicles.
The consultation also explored changes to state and territory laws, including what new road rules are required for people using automated vehicles.
We prepared a consultation paper to help respondents understand the proposed regulatory framework and what's been done so far, and would like to hear your thoughts on some specific questions. A shorter explanatory document can be read here that summarises the longer consultation paper.
Along with the consultation paper, we've also created 18 supporting papers.
If you’d prefer to jump straight to a specific supporting paper or area of interest, you can find them all in the Key Documents library below, or visit the web pages for specific areas of interest:
Watch the below webinar for further information on the policy considerations.
Please note, the NTC is to progressively upload submissions received following the close of consultation.
Where requested by the author, individual submissions will remain confidential.
This consultation outlines the end-to-end regulatory framework for automated vehicles to support their safe use on Australian roads.
To read further documents, head to our publications page.
A Microsoft Word document of all papers can also be accessed here.
If you’d like to express interest in the program, or ask us a question about our work, we’d like to hear from you.
You can contact us at automatedvehicles@ntc.gov.au.