Nathan Guy local column – Important changes for drivers proposed
Some important changes to transport laws have been proposed recently and the Government wants to hear your feedback.
The Vehicle Licensing Reform project is looking at ways to improve the warrant of fitness process, and other registration issues.
The current setup has been in place for decades and affects every vehicle owner and driver. More than 14 million transactions are generated every year, and we want to make sure the rationale behind the systems is still clear and justified.
One of the ideas raised is to require a warrant of fitness every year, instead of the current six months required for most cars.
New Zealand’s WoF system – which began in the 1930s – has a higher number of inspections than systems in many other countries. It could be that some people rely too much on a WoF check as a substitute for on-going vehicle maintenance.
Over in Australia, a safety inspection is only required at change of ownership in Victoria and Queensland. Across the board, Australia has better road safety outcomes than New Zealand.
Potentially this could save millions of dollars in unnecessary costs and time for motorists.
About $245 million is paid in inspection fees each year and the time spent getting a warrant of fitness (WoF) is estimated at $100 million.
Safety, of course, remains a key issue and is an important part of the discussion document. You can have your say at www.transport.govt.nz with submissions closing on 31 October.
Another important rule change proposed is to require children aged up to 7 to be in an appropriate child restraint, and those aged between 7 and 8 will be required to use a child restraint if one is available.
Research shows that in a crash, young school-age passengers are at considerable risk if they are only restrained by an adult seatbelt.
This is a sensible move to help keep more of our children safe on the roads, and lines us up with Australia.
From my diary
*On Monday I was in the Waikato for racing visits, including a meeting with Sir Patrick Hogan at Cambridge Stud.
*Tuesday I was in Christchurch for forestry visits to see how timber is being used in innovative new ways for the city’s rebuild.
*Friday I am in Auckland to speak at the 95th commemoration of the Passchendaele battle.
*Saturday I’m attending the Te Horo Fire Awards, and Sunday I hope to run 10km at the annual Levin Harriers event at Koputaroa.