Vehicle reversing cameras to be mandatory from 2025

Reversing cameras and rear motion sensors will become mandatory on all new-generation motor vehicles entering the Australian market from November 1, 2025.

That includes all vehicle types, from passenger cars through to SUVs and light and heavy commercial vehicles – including utes that are hugely popular in Australia – while new vehicles made from existing models in the marketplace must have the life-saving technology fitted from November 1, 2027.

The Albanese federal government announced the changes to the Australian Design Rules (ADRs) today, which now include the newly developed ‘ADR 108/00 – Reversing Technologies’.

Assistant minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Carol Brown, said that mandating reversing cameras and motion sensors would reduce the impact of road trauma associated with collisions involving vehicles and vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians – Australia’s largest single road user group.

“If we save even one child’s life through this mandate, it will be worth it,” said Brown.

“We know that reversing aids will improve visibility for drivers to minimise black spots while reversing.

“The Australian government predicts that this change will contribute to a reduction in both fatal and non-fatal driveway incidents.

“This new standard supports our unwavering commitment to achieving Vision Zero: zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 2050.

“It will be particularly impactful towards ensuring zero deaths of children [aged] seven years and under by 2030.”

The mandate comes after many years of advocacy from organisations such as KidSafe, and from parents impacted by driveway incidents.

According to the government, the mandate should save “13 lives and avoid 140 severe and 62 minor injuries over the next 45 years”. It should also inject $80.6 million into the economy.

“Every week a child is injured in a driveway runover incident, with children under five most at risk,” said KidSafe Victoria CEO Melanie Courtney.

“These new regulations will help lower the number of injuries and deaths and the devastating long-term effects on families.”

The new ADR 108/00 and its full impact assessment are available on the Federal Register of Information here.

The latest move follows soon after autonomous emergency braking (AEB) was made mandatory on all new cars launched from March this year.

Lane keeping systems will also become compulsory in new cars from March 2024.

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