Automated vehicle program

Our existing laws are designed for the use of traditional vehicles with human drivers.  AVs are set to change the way we move people and freight on our roads. Before AVs are introduced to Australian roads, we need new laws to manage their safety and support seamless integration into our existing road network.

To achieve this, the NTC works in close partnership with the Australian Government and state and territory governments to develop nationally consistent laws governing the supply and use of AVs in Australia. Our goal is to create a nationally consistent end-to-end framework that supports the safe deployment and operation of automated vehicles, at all levels of automation, in Australia.

As part of this, a new national law – the Automated Vehicle Safety Law – is being developed by the Australian Government with our support. This law will include safety duties, recognise new legal entities, and establish a new in-service safety regulator.

When the Automated Vehicle Safety Law is introduced, it will need to be supported by reforms to a wide range of other federal, state and territory laws to ensure the end-to-end framework operates as intended. The NTC coordinates a national program to develop the AV regulatory framework, including work to aligning state and territory laws and regulations to the new national safety law. 

Our research has uncovered hundreds of state and territory laws and regulations that need updating for AVs to run on our roads. To promote national consistency in reforms, the NTC will develop model laws to guide these changes, including amendments to the model Australian Road Rules.

For more information more about the AV regulatory framework and the new national safety law, see the AV safety reforms document.

In 2024 we partnered with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to gather feedback from the public on AV safety reforms. The feedback gathered in that consultation will help inform the Australian Government’s development of the new Automated Vehicle Safety Law, as well as NTC's work on developing model reforms to state and territory laws.

The consultation is now closed and we are working through the submissions. You can learn more about the consultation and view the submissions we received here.
 

Our AV Program has reached a number of key policy milestones as we work towards developing end-to-end regulation to support the safe commercial deployment of AVs in Australia. Read more about our previous work on the automated vehicle regulatory framework here. 

Some key papers include: 
•    Regulatory Framework for Automated Vehicles in Australia
•    On-road enforcements for Automated Vehicle 
 

Australian governments support the safe, controlled testing of AVs through state and territory-based trial frameworks. Trials of AVs have already been conducted by a wide range of industry and research bodies across Australia under these arrangements.

Ongoing trialling of AVs is important to support industry in developing and refining the technology. Trials also help to educate the Australian community in how AVs will work when they are eventually introduced to Australia.

To support industry and research bodies seeking to trial automated vehicles, the NTC has partnered with  Austroads to publish guidelines for how to apply to trial AVs in your local jurisdiction. These guidelines are updated regularly.

Guidelines for trials of automated vehicles in Australia
•    Read more about the guidelines
•    Download the guidelines 
•    Download the research report on lessons learned from AV trials in Australia 
 

The NTC leads national land transport reform. We do this in close partnership with Commonwealth, State and Territory governments.

Our government partners in the AV Program are:
•    The Department of Transport, Infrastructure, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
•    Austroads
•    Transport for NSW 
•    Department of Transport and Planning (VIC)
•    Department of Transport and Main Roads (QLD)
•    Main Roads Western Australia 
•    Department for Infrastructure and Transport (SA)
•    Department of State Growth (TAS) 
•    Transport Canberra and City Services 
•    Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (NT)