Near-silent hybrid and electric vehicles can catch out even the sighted, and pose an even greater danger to the visually impaired.
A new regulation, however, will require all cars, trucks and buses sold in Australia to be fitted with an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) if they can be propelled in reverse or in at least one forward drive gear without an internal combustion engine operating.
These systems emit a sound in low-speed driving – like, for example, carparks – and myriad electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and hybrids (HEVs) in Australia already feature such systems.
Crucially, AVAS tech makes pedestrians aware an electrified vehicle is coming to reduce the risk of a collision, and soundtracks vary greatly – there’s everything from the ghostly, ethereal hum of Hyundai hybrids and EVs to the (recently removed) ice cream truck-like sound of the Geely EX5.
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Announced last year, the regulation is coming into effect this week: November 1, 2025. The regulation is called Australian Design Rule 113/00 – Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems for Quiet Road Transport Vehicles.
It initially applies only to new models released after November 1, 2025, but from November 1, 2026 it’ll apply to all new vehicles that can operate without a combustion engine. That includes EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs.
AVASs will be required to operate at speeds above 0km/h and up to (and including) 20km/h. The ADR legislation details the technical requirements and testing criteria for AVAS.
No pause function is permitted, but the regulation supports the availability of AVAS setups with different sounds selectable by drivers.
The Australian Government has said vehicles fitted with an AVAS won’t be any noisier than conventional combustion-powered vehicles, with a maximum overall sound pressure level of 75dBA.
It has previously claimed the new ADR will help avoid around 68 fatalities, 2675 serious injuries, and 2962 minor injuries by 2060.
Unusually, AVAS technology is being mandated here around five years after it was legislated in the US and Europe. China also has AVAS guidelines, which were introduced around the same time.
Vision Australia, a not-for-profit that supports people with blindness and low vision, celebrated the announcement of the new ADR last year.
“Vision Australia has been calling for AVAS to be introduced in Australia since 2018,” said Chris Edwards, Vision Australia’s manager of government relations and advocacy last April.
“We are ecstatic and congratulate the current federal government for listening to our concerns and acting on this very important issue as pedestrians who are blind or have low vision will be able to navigate public spaces with more confidence.”