Pedestrians will soon be safer around quiet cars, trucks, and buses travelling at low speeds, with new regulations requiring electric vehicles to be fitted with Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS).

The AVAS is a safety alert or sound, emitted when an electric vehicle is travelling at low speeds in car parks, intersections, and driveways. A vehicle fitted with an AVAS will not be any noisier than a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle.

Vision Australia’s Chris Edwards congratulated the federal government for introducing the new Australian Design Rule, saying “pedestrians who are blind or have low vision will be able to navigate public spaces with more confidence”.

“There is no doubt that this is an announcement that will save lives.”

Quiet vehicles such as electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles travelling at low speeds are harder for pedestrians to hear compared to noisier vehicles with conventional petrol or diesel engines.

This risk is greater for people who are blind or have poor vision who rely on sound to navigate the road network independently.

The design rule will apply to new electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell cars, trucks, and buses from November 2025.

The federal government said the design rule is expected to avoid around 68 fatalities, 2,675 serious injuries, and 2,962 minor injuries by 2060 and estimated it will save the Australian community AU$208 million.