MTA flags safety concerns with Govt Warrant of Fitness changes

The National Government has revealed changes to New Zealand’s Warrant of Fitness (WoF) that aim to ‘cut red tape’ and reduce costs for motorists. But, the changes have already been flagged as concerning by the Motor Trade Association (MTA).

The key change sees most of the country’s light vehicles that are 14-years-old or younger move away from an annual WoF requirement. They will instead only need to achieve a WoF once every two years. Brand new vehicles, meanwhile, will only need a second WoF after four years. 

There’s changes for older vehicles, motorcycles, and light rental vehicles, too. Their WoF schedule will shift from once every six months to once a year.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop says the changes will reduce costs for Kiwi motorists to the tune of between $2.6b and $4.1b over the next three decades.

“I know many people will welcome these changes, especially when many households are feeling pressure due to high petrol and diesel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East,” said Bishop.

“Overall, the Government’s changes align inspection effort with actual safety risk, meaning fewer unnecessary inspections, lower costs for vehicle owners, and less time spent jumping through administrative hoops – while still ensuring the cars on our roads are safe to drive.”

The news comes amid rising pressure on the Government to deploy more relief to local motorists as the price of petrol and diesel continues to rise, with some commentators questioning why National hasn’t rolled out changes similar to those implemented in Australia.

The Motor Industry Association was quick to respond to the Government’s changes to the WoF yesterday, expressing concerns about whether the tweak will actually save any money, and noting that the changes could make the local vehicle fleet less safe overall.

“The saving of one less WoF a year is around $70 and, while that may be well-intentioned, motorists will probably end up paying more in other costs such as larger maintenance and repair bills due to the delay in inspections,” said MTA head of advocacy James McDowall.

“Not to mention insurance, ACC levies, and the cost to the taxpayer of increased enforcement and education,” he added, citing the need to educate motorists on basic vehicle maintenance like tyre tread depths and other consumables that are often checked during the WoF process.

“Vehicles only needing a warrant every two years up to the age of 14 is going to mean more on the roads with dangerous faults such as worn tyres and brakes. The reality is many motorists simply don’t keep a close eye on their vehicle’s condition and rely on the WOF to find safety issues.”

McDowall expects the changes to lead to more “unsafe vehicles” on Kiwi roads.

“When we canvassed our members, who conduct 80% of WoF inspections, for their views on the government’s proposals last year there was widespread consensus they would mean more unsafe vehicles on the roads,” McDowall said.

“The failure rate is currently 41% with the existing rules. At any given time, there are more than a half a million vehicles on the road without a valid WoF. The new structure is hardly going to improve those figures.

“In the original proposal, vehicles up to 10 years old would have been able to get a warrant every two years. That’s now been increased to 14 years with effect from next year. [...] You don’t have to be a mechanic to realise many cars deteriorate as they age. One-in-three vehicles between eight and 10 years old already presents with safety-related issues every year.”