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ADR 68/01 Kit

ADR 68/01 requires three things on an applicable new bus: a label on every seat back, a lit FASTEN SEATBELT sign in the cabin, and a spoken announcement when the last door closes. This kit supplies all three.

From$648per vehicle, ex GST

No subscription or licence fees
12-month Australian warranty

Price your vehicle

Built for Australian Fleets

Covers all three reminder requirements Australian designed and supported New builds and retrofits Order one kit or a production run 12-month Australian warranty

What’s in the kit

Four items outfit one vehicle. Prices are AUD ex GST, per unit.

2 per kit

Cabin announcement speakers

Play “Please fasten seatbelt while seated” when the last door closes. 78 mm magnet diameter, 20 W, 8 Ω. The announcement delay can be customised at time of order.

$75 each · $150 per kit

Illuminated 12V DC LED cabin sign reading FASTEN SEATBELT in a brushed metal frame

1 per kit

Illuminated FASTEN SEATBELT sign

12 V DC LED sign carrying the required FASTEN SEATBELT wording, mounted on the cabin bulkhead where passengers can see it from their seats.

$80 each

1 per kit

ADR 68/01 control module

Drives the sign and the speakers, and triggers the announcement on last-door-close. Runs on the bus 12 V DC supply and mounts out of sight — behind the dash or in a side locker, wherever the installer prefers.

$350 each

Brushed stainless steel plaque engraved FASTEN SEATBELT WHILE SEATED with a screw hole at each end

1 per seat

Seat-back label

Carries the required FASTEN SEATBELT WHILE SEATED wording on the back of every seat. Two options — compare them below.

$4–$7 per seat

Installation

1
Mount the sign

Fix the illuminated sign to the cabin bulkhead, positioned so seated passengers can read it.
2
Mount the speakers

Fit both speakers in the cabin so the announcement carries the length of the vehicle.
3
Fit the seat-back labels

Screw on the stainless plaques, or stick on the adhesive labels — one on the back of every seat.
4
Wire up the module

Connect the module to the sign, the speakers, the door signal and the bus 12 V DC supply, then stow it out of sight.

Supply model Supply only. You engage the installer, which keeps you free to fit it during a service the vehicle is already booked in for.

Lead time Built to order, 4–6 weeks. Volume orders are scheduled against your build or service calendar.

Warranty 12-month Australian warranty. Australian designed and supported, with locally handled replacements.

What ADR 68/01 requires, and what supplies it

The rule specifies a seatbelt reminder system in three parts. Each part maps to one item in the kit. Nothing else is mandated, and nothing in the kit is there for any other reason.

Requirement to hardware
What the rule requires	Required wording	What supplies it
A label on the back of every seat	Fasten seatbelt while seated	One seat-back label per seat — stainless steel plaque or adhesive sticker
An illuminated cabin sign	Fasten seatbelt	12 V DC LED sign, bulkhead mounted
An audible announcement when the final door closes	Please fasten seatbelt while seated	Two cabin speakers, triggered by the control module on last-door-close

The required wording must always be present. Seatbelt symbols may be added alongside it, but cannot replace it. Source: Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 68/01 – Occupant Protection in Buses) 2024 and the Bus Industry Confederation’s ADR 68/01 & Seatbelts FAQ (April 2025).

When it applies

Two dates, and they do different things. The Department of Infrastructure states the rule applies “from 1 November 2026 for new models of buses and coaches, and from 1 November 2027 for new existing model buses and coaches”.

Now → 31 Oct 2026 Not yet mandatory Fit voluntarily, or use the time to design the kit into a model you are about to release.

1 November 2026 New models must comply Any bus or coach model newly introduced to the Australian market from this date needs the reminder system where passenger seatbelts are fitted.

1 November 2027 Existing models too Models already in production are no longer exempt. A bus you sell today must comply if it is still being built after this date.

Already on the road No retrofit required ADR 68/01 is not retrospective. Buses already in service before the dates above do not have to be retrofitted.

Working back from the deadline

Kits are built to order on a 4–6 week lead time, and fitment is booked with your own auto electrician on top of that. If compliance has to be in place for a build slot, order at least two months ahead of it.

Sources: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, 24 January 2025. Background on the rule’s introduction, including the Hunter Valley bus crash of June 2023, is in the Minister’s media release of 21 January 2025. For a fuller walkthrough, read our ADR 68/01 compliance guide.

Does ADR 68/01 apply to your bus?

Three conditions have to hold at once. If any one of them fails, the reminder requirements do not apply to that vehicle.

All three must be true

1It is an MD3, MD4 or ME omnibus — that is, over 3.5 tonnes GVM.
2Passenger seatbelts are fitted. The reminder requirements only bite where there are belts to remind people about.
3It falls after the applicable date — a new model from 1 Nov 2026, or an existing model still in production from 1 Nov 2027.

Two exemptions

Route service omnibus without passenger seatbelts. A bus specially designed with spaces for standing passengers.
Fewer than 17 seats including the driver.

Vehicle categories covered
Category	Gross vehicle mass
MD3Light bus	Over 3.5 t, up to 4.5 t
MD4Light bus	Over 4.5 t, up to 5.0 t
MEHeavy omnibus	Over 5.0 t

GVM is the vehicle’s maximum loaded mass. Related reading: Australian bus seatbelt laws.

Choosing a seat-back label

Both options carry the same required wording and both satisfy the labelling requirement. The difference is durability against cost, multiplied by your seat count — on a 57-seat coach the choice is worth about $171.

Coach interior with a stainless FASTEN SEATBELT WHILE SEATED plaque on the back of each headrest

Stainless steel plaque

$7/seat

•1 mm stainless steel, engraved lettering
•Screws on with 2 × M3 × 14 mm self-tapping screws, supplied
•Survives cleaning, picking and seat-cover changes
•Needs a drill or driver and a fixable seat back

Best for new builds, long-life coach interiors, and anywhere labels have gone missing before.

White adhesive seat-back label printed FASTEN SEATBELT WHILE SEATED

Coach interior with an adhesive FASTEN SEATBELT WHILE SEATED label on the back of each headrest

Adhesive label

$4/seat

•Printed adhesive sticker for hard surfaces
•No tools, no drilling, no holes in a seat back
•Fastest option across a large seat count
•Needs a clean, hard, flat surface to key to

Best for retrofits, high seat counts and adhesive mounting on seat backs.

Every stainless plaque ships with its two M3 × 14 mm self-tapping screws. There is nothing else to source before fitment day.

Specifications

Speakers	2 per kit · 78 mm magnet diameter · 20 W · 8 Ω
Announcement	“Please fasten seatbelt while seated”, triggered when the final door closes. Delay customisable at time of order.
Cabin sign	1 per kit · 12 V DC LED · reads FASTEN SEATBELT · bulkhead mount
Control module	1 per kit · 12 V DC vehicle supply · drives sign and speakers · concealed mounting, installer’s choice of location
Seat-back label, stainless	1 mm stainless steel · reads FASTEN SEATBELT WHILE SEATED · supplied with 2 × M3 × 14 mm self-tapping screws
Seat-back label, adhesive	Printed adhesive sticker for hard surfaces · reads FASTEN SEATBELT WHILE SEATED
Coverage	One kit per vehicle, plus one seat-back label per seat
Lead time	Built to order · 4–6 weeks
Warranty	12 months, Australian
Origin	Australian designed and supported; components imported

The manufacturer selects the speaker volume, loudness and audio hardware. Other accessibility standards may influence what you pick.

What the kit provides

This kit supplies the three seatbelt reminders specified by ADR 68/01: seat-back labels, an illuminated cabin sign and a door-close announcement.

ADR 68/01 does require

✓A label on the back of every seat
✓An illuminated cabin sign
✓An announcement when the final door closes

Optional monitoring features

+Seat occupancy detection
+Seatbelt monitoring or buckle sensing
+A driver display or seat map
+Real-time passenger monitoring of any kind

For live visibility of each passenger’s buckle state, operators can choose the separate AITSC Seatbelt Warning System. That system is priced separately. The ADR 68/01 kit supplies the required cabin reminders.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ADR 68/01 actually require?

Three reminders, where an applicable bus has passenger seatbelts fitted: a label on the back of every seat reading “Fasten seatbelt while seated”, an illuminated cabin sign reading “Fasten seatbelt”, and an audible announcement saying “Please fasten seatbelt while seated” when the final door closes. The required wording must always be present; symbols may be added alongside it but cannot replace it.

When do I have to comply with ADR 68/01?

From 1 November 2026 for new models of buses and coaches, and from 1 November 2027 for new existing model buses and coaches. In practice that means a model you introduce to the Australian market after November 2026 must comply immediately, and a model you already sell must comply if it is still being built after November 2027.

Do existing buses have to be retrofitted for ADR 68/01?

Retrofitting is voluntary for buses already in service before the applicable dates. Operators can choose to fit the kit to encourage seatbelt use and give passengers consistent reminders across a mixed-age fleet.

Which buses are exempt from ADR 68/01?

Two exemptions apply. A route service omnibus that is not equipped with passenger seatbelts — that is, a bus specially designed with spaces for standing passengers. And any bus with fewer than 17 seats including the driver. The reminder requirements apply where passenger seatbelts are fitted and the vehicle is in an applicable category.

How much does an ADR 68/01 kit cost?

The vehicle hardware is $580 ex GST — two speakers at $75 each, one illuminated sign at $80, and one control module at $350. Seat-back labels are priced per seat on top of that: $4 for an adhesive label or $7 for a stainless steel plaque. A 25-seat bus with adhesive labels comes to $680 ex GST; a 57-seat coach with stainless plaques comes to $979. Volume pricing applies to fleet and production orders.

Does ADR 68/01 require seatbelt monitoring or occupancy sensors?

ADR 68/01 specifies seat-back labels, an illuminated cabin sign and a door-close announcement. Seat occupancy monitoring, buckle sensing and driver displays are optional additions, as confirmed in the Bus Industry Confederation’s FAQ.

Who installs the ADR 68/01 kit?

Your auto electrician or body builder. AITSC supplies the kit for installation by your auto electrician or body builder. The job is four tasks — mount the sign, mount the speakers, fit a label to each seat back, and wire the control module to the sign, speakers, door signal and 12 V DC supply. The module’s mounting location is the installer’s call, as long as it is concealed and accessible for service.

Is the AITSC kit certified for ADR 68/01?

The kit is built to supply the three reminders ADR 68/01 specifies, but AITSC does not currently issue a test report or declaration of conformity for it. Responsibility for the vehicle’s ADR approval sits with the manufacturer or body builder, who certifies the vehicle as a whole. Contact us early to confirm the supplier documentation available for your vehicle approval process.

Can the ADR 68/01 announcement be changed?

The wording is set by the rule, so the announcement says “Please fasten seatbelt while seated”. The delay between the final door closing and the announcement playing can be customised, and that is specified at time of order. The manufacturer sets the volume and selects the audio hardware.

Why is ADR 68/01 being introduced?

The Australian Government introduced the rule following consultation with industry, states and territories, in response to the Hunter Valley bus crash of June 2023. The aim is to lift passenger seatbelt wearing rates using visual and audible reminders similar to those used in aviation. At the time of the announcement the Government noted seatbelt usage as low as 7% on some services.

Get your ADR 68/01 kit quoted

Tell us the vehicle, the seat count and how many units you need. We will come back with a price, a lead time against your build calendar, and the fitment notes for your electrician.

Or email contact@aitsc.au