Australia was once a global leader in vehicle safety. However, experts now warn that the country is lagging behind Europe in adopting life-saving technologies. As road fatalities rise, there are growing calls for stronger regulations and urgent action to improve vehicle safety standards.
According to date from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE), Australia experienced its highest annual road toll in 12 years in 2024 with 1,300 fatalities, up from 1,258 in 2023
Dr. Ingrid Johnston, CEO of the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), expressed concerns about the current approach. She warned that Australians may be driving cars with fewer safety features than their European counterparts.
“Vehicle safety standards (known as the Australian Design Rules) are falling well behind the highest in the world, which is Europe,” Dr. Johnston said.
“And what that means is that we have vehicles which are legally allowed for sale in this country that get a zero-safety star rating.”
Dr. Johnston highlighted a troubling example where a vehicle sold in Australia had safety features removed compared to its European version.
“You might think that you’ve got an identical vehicle to what’s being sold in Europe, but the Australian version is going to have had safety features removed. It’s just not acceptable.”
Advanced Technology Already Exists but It’s Not Being Used
European countries have embraced cutting-edge safety measures for years, yet Australia has yet to implement them. One such feature is ‘eCall,’ a system that automatically contacts emergency services with a vehicle’s location after a crash.
“This saves incredibly valuable time in letting the emergency services know that there’s a crash they need to attend and letting them know exactly where it is. We could implement that, but we haven’t,” Dr. Johnston said.
Similarly, driver monitoring systems that track eye movement and steering control to detect drowsiness or distraction are widely available. However, it is not mandated in Australia.
“When you’re driving your car it will be monitoring if your eyes are maintaining contact with the road the way they should be and whether you’re holding the steering wheel properly,” she explained. “It alerts you if it thinks that your attention is distracted, or it thinks that you might be tired. Again, we don’t mandate those things. We just rely on them filtering through from other countries.”
Manufacturers Cutting Corners on Safety
Despite these technologies being available, manufacturers are not always including them in Australian models.
“They say it’s not mandatory. In Australia, they’d rather save a few dollars and leave it out,” Dr. Johnston said.
As global automotive safety standards evolve, Australia risks falling even further behind. Without updated regulations, vehicles that fail to meet modern safety expectations will continue to be sold. This can put Australian drivers at risk.
Dr. Johnston stressed the need for stronger leadership at both state and federal levels to enforce stricter safety standards.
“There’s a lot that we could be doing, absolutely, a lot. But there just hasn’t been the leadership shown from state and federal governments around the country to make it happen, and there needs to be.”
With road fatalities increasing, experts warn that without decisive action, lives will continue to be lost unnecessarily. Strengthening vehicle safety standards, enforcing smarter road policies, and implementing advanced safety technology must be a national priority.
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