National Future Transport Summit Consultation

Safety workshop highlights complexity of transition to connected and automated transport

Safety took centre stage in the second consultation workshop for the National Future Transport Summit on 25 June 2025, with leading voices from government, industry and research exploring how Australia can safely transition to connected and automated transport technologies.

Opening the session, CCAT’s Executive Director, Brook Hall, framed the safety theme as a critical national priority, not only for road users, but for all those working in and around the transport system and in strategic industries. He emphasised the Summit’s safety vision:

Transport and industrial safety flourishes as dangerous jobs are replaced by safe, satisfying and high value roles and human error is eliminated.

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Strong Potential, but Complex Path

Dr Ingrid Johnston, CEO of the Australasian College of Road Safety, provided the opening expert address for the workshop.

Dr Johnston highlighted both the promising opportunities and the risks in adopting connected and automated vehicle technologies. While features like electronic stability control and lane assist can deliver clear safety gains, she cautioned that inconsistent system design, poor user understanding and overreliance on automation could undermine their effectiveness. Dr Johnstone stressed the need for careful implementation and education as we navigate the long transition to mixed-fleet environments.

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Key Perspectives from Industry and Government

Nikesh Murali (NRMA) described Australia’s road toll as a crisis (with over 1,300 deaths in the past year) and argued that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technologies must be urgently deployed to reduce fatalities. He called for expanded automated vehicle (AV) trials that reflect Australia’s diverse geography, especially in regional areas where most road deaths occur. Nikesh also urged better coordination across industry and government to accelerate safe commercial deployment, particularly in freight and public transport.

David Elston (RAC WA) highlighted the benefits of automation in removing human error from the road safety equation, drawing on RAC’s seven-year Intellibus trial. He noted that while the public is generally supportive of automated transport across certain use-cases, rollout in Australia has been hampered by slow regulatory progress. David stressed the need for education around current driver-assist technologies, which many Australians are already using but not fully understanding.

Claire Thompson (WA Department of Transport) focused on regulatory challenges, noting that the line between ADAS and full automation is becoming increasingly blurred. She explained that Australia’s regulatory framework involves both federal and state oversight, and that the upcoming AV Safety Law will hold corporations responsible for vehicle performance on the road. Claire warned of the risks of uncontrolled deployment via software updates and emphasised the importance of driver monitoring systems, crash data and public education in managing the transition safely.

Brook Hall moderated an interactive Q&A discussion with questions from the online audience. The following points were discussed as part of this:

• Cybersecurity in a National Regulatory Framework
  
  • Cybersecurity must be a core component of national safety frameworks for automated vehicles, with alignment to evolving international standards. Stakeholders emphasised the need for resilience across the entire transport system—including EV charging, data infrastructure, and post-sale vehicle servicing. Risks discussed ranged from data ownership and misuse to more extreme threats such as remote interference and system-wide transport disruptions.

• Australia-Specific Considerations‍
  
  • Australia’s unique conditions (like vast distances, wildlife, unsealed roads, diverse population and inconsistent connectivity) require tailored policy and infrastructure responses. A strong case was made for supporting local research, particularly to map regional driving conditions and trial AV technologies in real-world rural environments. Suggestions included requiring a local presence for AV providers to improve accountability and build public confidence.

• Keeping drivers in the loop
  
  • The transition from driver assistance to full automation presents major challenges in maintaining appropriate levels of driver engagement and situational awareness. Future systems may rely more heavily on remote support or remove driver control altogether, prompting a shift in public trust and responsibility. A key concern raised was poor consumer understanding of current in-vehicle technologies, highlighting the need for better education, clear guidance at point-of-sale and consistent messaging across platforms. Broader public education and regulatory oversight were seen as essential to ensure safe interaction with increasingly automated systems.

• Proving the safety case
  
  • Participants highlighted the need for accessible, independent data demonstrating the safety benefits of connected and automated transport in Australian conditions. There was strong support for developing national protocols to standardise trial design, data collection and transparent reporting. While some sectors like mining and agriculture are already seeing automation benefits, much of this information remains proprietary and inaccessible. The discussion acknowledged the need to consider not only proven safety outcomes, but also the risks of delaying adoption in the face of rapidly advancing technology.

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Next Steps

The workshop is part of a national consultation process feeding into the National Future Transport Summit, to be held 17–18 September at Brisbane City Hall. Written submissions can be made until 25^th July. These may address overarching issues or specific themes including safety, sustainability, productivity, infrastructure or social legitimacy.

To read the discussion paper, register for remaining workshops, or make a submission, visit www.ccat.org.au/summit.

If you missed this workshop, you can view the recording here:

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