Australian Design Rules (ADR) Certification

RAM Mounts and Australian Design Rules (ADR) Certification

In Australia, all new vehicles sold (or imported) must meet the Australian Design Rules (ADR). If a vehicle is modified after it leaves the showroom, then it should still conform to the ADR throughout the life of vehicle and the state it has been registered in.

The ADRs typically relate to the overall vehicle and how the after-market accessory has been fitted in the vehicle, rather than certifying the accessory (RAM Mounts) itself. The ADRs have specific requirements for occupant protection, accessories, instrument panels, and structures. For example, depending on where you choose to install the RAM Mount, you may or not hinder the airbag systems. It is not possible to have individual RAM Mount parts ADR certified by themselves, or a blanket certification for all vehicles, as the ADR certification relates to an individual vehicle and cannot be transferred to another type of vehicle.

Since the ADR process is quite complex and can vary state by state, we have a network of expert vehicle fitters in each state that can offer professional engineering advice on ADR certification. This typically means that they will carefully examine the chosen RAM Mount, and ensure that all ADR criteria are met for your vehicle type. Some engineering consultants can also model the RAM Mount in CAD software, to carry out failure simulations to optimise the placement, or possibly reject it.

Carrying out a real-life tests of ADR21/00 (Instrument Panel) is prohibitively expensive, and requires a test vehicle with all glass removed to be pulled along a special hydraulic rig by a NATA approved lab, under the supervision of a qualified engineer. These kinds of tests start at $30,000 not including the cost of the test vehicle, which could be damaged as part of the testing.

If you would like to know more about ADR certification and RAM Mounts in Australia, please contact us so that we can put you in touch with one of our expert installers, most of whom employ qualified engineers.