The National Transport Commission and Austroads’ Guidelines for trials of automated vehicles in Australia were released in May 2017 to support nationally consistent conditions for automated vehicle trials in Australia. The guidelines were intended to:

• provide certainty and clarity to industry regarding expectations when trialling in Australia
• help agencies manage trials in their own jurisdictions as well as across state borders
• establish minimum standards of safety
• help assure the public that roads are being used safely
• help raise awareness and acceptance of automated vehicles in the community.

Transport and infrastructure ministers directed that the guidelines should be reviewed every two years. The NTC began this review of the guidelines in 2019 and it is the first to take place since they were published. The purpose of this discussion paper is to assess how well the guidelines are working in practice and to seek broader stakeholder views on any required changes.