This information is intended to provide a general description of legislative requirements. Legislation requires that vehicles incorporate acceptable levels of safety and are maintained in a roadworthy condition.
Vehicles registered and used on public roads in South Australia must comply with the Road Traffic Act and Regulations, the Australian Design Rules (ADRs) and various other Acts and Regulations.
Hazardous protrusions are prohibited on new and in-service vehicles and are controlled by a number of legal means.
Many vehicle accessories can become hazardous if not installed appropriately including bull bars, radio antennae, winches, bonnet adornments, and fishing rod holders - to name a few.
The legislation is not limited to the front of a vehicle but includes the rear of the vehicle eg - towbars, spare wheel carriers and interior fittings, and the side of the vehicle.
Australian Design Rule 42/04 General Safety Requirements
External or internal protrusions
No vehicle shall be equipped with:
- any object or fitting that is technically essential to the vehicle unless its design, construction, and conditions and the manner in which it is affixed to the vehicle are such as to reduce to a minimum the risk of bodily injury to any person
- any object or fitting which, because it is pointed or has a sharp edge, is likely to increase the risk of bodily injury to any person
- any bumper bar the end of which is not turned towards the body of the vehicle to a sufficient extent to avoid any risk of hooking or grazing.
Road Traffic (Light Vehicle Standards) Rules 2018, Part 4, Division 1
Rule 29 Protrusions
An object fitted to a vehicle must be designed, built, and fitted to the vehicle in a way that minimises the likelihood of injury to a person making contact with the vehicle.
However, subrule (1) does not apply to an object fitted to a vehicle if:
- The vehicle was designed before 1965 and the object was part of the design of the vehicle, or
- The object was fitted to the vehicle before 1965 in accordance with the law of the place where the object was fitted.
Road Traffic (Light Vehicle Standards) Rules 2018, Part 3, Division 1, 2
Rule 21 - 25 Compliance with second edition ADRs
If a third edition ADR applies to the design and construction of a vehicle, the vehicle must comply with the ADR.
SA Road Traffic Act 1961, Part 4, Division 3A
Rule 116 (2) Provisions relating to breaches of light vehicle standards
A light vehicle is not maintained in a safe condition if driving the vehicle would endanger the person driving the vehicle, anyone else in or on the vehicle or a vehicle attached to it or other road users.
The mechanical design and roadworthiness of a vehicle are important to the safety and well-being of all road users.
Legislation requires that vehicles incorporate acceptable levels of safety and are maintained in a roadworthy condition.
Vehicle Standards reference: MR800.
