The Australian Government has today begun consultation on new life-saving vehicle technology – Lane Keeping Systems (LKS) for new cars.
LKS for light vehicles warns the driver when they are approaching the edge of the lane, and can intervene to steer the vehicle back into the lane if an unintentional lane departure is detected.
Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister Kevin Hogan said this new safety technology can help save lives by preventing a range of crash types including head-on collisions, side-swipes and single car run-off road crashes.
“These types of crashes result in 55 per cent of all road fatalities, and this number increases to 72 per cent at highway speeds,” Assistant Minister Hogan said.
“Our Government is committed to saving lives by improving road safety through record investments, leadership and supporting the uptake of new safety technologies.
“We are now kicking off consultations to explore the case for introducing a new mandatory standard for LKS to be installed in all new light vehicles in the Australian market, which includes passenger cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles.
“A mandate could reduce the number of fatal light vehicle crashes by 11.9 per cent, saving 6,989 lives, and avoid around 23,648 serious and 7,385 minor injuries over 35 years.
“A new standard for LKS is also expected to return a net benefit of around $2.44 billion to the Australian economy over the same timeframe.
“I encourage anyone interested in having their say on this vital work to make a submission by the 27 February 2022 deadline.”
The consultation Regulation Impact Statement is available at
