Getting death-traps off our roads

Japanese imports and seatbelts are among the targets of new driving safety proposals. NAOMI LARKIN looks at the latest scheme to cut the road toll.

Driving should be safer if proposed new vehicle safety standards become law.

Transport Minister Mark Gosche yesterday released the 11 proposals for discussion, saying: "Vehicle safety can often mean the difference between a road crash and a road death. By improving the quality and safety of the vehicle fleet, we want to bring the road toll down."

Vehicle faults contributed to 280 crashes last year, of which 33 were fatal.

The 11 proposals, on which the public and interested parties can make submissions, include changes to the rules on importing, safety inspections and standards.

Other changes would ban flood-damaged imports, improve standards for seatbelts and airbags and alter the frequency of warrant of fitness inspections.

At present, cars built since March 1, 1999, must meet international crash safety standards to be registered. The new law would push back the date indefinitely, meaning all vehicles imported after April 1, 2002, would have to meet the standards unless they were four-wheel-drives, utilities or classic cars.

The proposals fall into two main categories: improving the quality of vehicles entering the country for the first time, and improving the safety of vehicles already here.

Some of the recommendations will mean altering the Land Transport Rules.

What are the 11 proposals?

1. A requirement that all passenger cars entering the country meet frontal-impact standards.

2. More stringent border inspections for imported used vehicles.

3. A ban on using water-damaged vehicles.

4. Higher standards for brake parts and tyres of imports.

5. All damaged or deployed airbags to be replaced.

6. Worn-out seatbelts to be replaced with webbing clamp seatbelts.

7. Seatbelts damaged in a crash to be destroyed.

8. Tougher standards for the supply and use of replacement parts for repairing vehicles.

9. Warrant of fitness inspections to be yearly until vehicles are five years old and six-monthly after that.

10. Frequency of certificate of fitness inspections to vary according to operator's safety performance.

11. Testing stations to cancel current certificates of fitness if serious defects are found on commercial vehicles.

What will change with each proposal?

Proposal 1. All cars registered in New Zealand after the rule comes into force - April 1, 2002 - will have to meet approved frontal-impact standards. This will have a major impact on used car imports.

Japanese cars (the majority of used vehicle imports) made before Japan began phasing in frontal-impact standards between 1994 and 1996 will not be able to be registered in New Zealand.

Provision will be made to allow the import and registration of classic cars - those more than 20 years old.

At present, vehicles manufactured before March 1, 1999, do not have to meet a frontal-impact standard.

2. A secure area for vehicle inspections will be set up away from the docks. Each imported vehicle will be held there until it can be thoroughly inspected, its documentation checked and a vehicle identification number issued.

The border inspection will be more detailed than at present, and cars will be released to importers only after this had taken place.

3. The Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) will refuse to certify vehicles with signs of water damage or other damage that could pose a threat to road safety.

4. When a vehicle is first certified for use in New Zealand, its tyres and brake parts will have to meet higher standards than those required at warrant of fitness or certificate of fitness inspections.

Tyres will need a tread depth of at least 3mm - the minimum for a warrant inspection is 1.5mm. Brake pads will need at least 50 per cent of the original friction material remaining - no value is now specified for a warrant inspection.

5. Airbags will not be able to be permanently removed from vehicles fitted with them when manufactured - irrespective of whether the car is being repaired.

6. When retractor-type belts in the front seats need replacing, they must be replaced with approved webbing-clamp type seatbelts where available.

At present seatbelts must be replaced if they are worn-out, faded or otherwise damaged. Replacements can be new or second-hand, provided they meet approved standards.

7. The webbing of seatbelts that have been worn in a crash must be cut so there is no risk of the belt being reused after the vehicle is repaired.

8. Replacement bodyshells and other key structural parts, critical to the performance of vehicles in frontal-impact collisions must, if second-hand, be salvaged from vehicles that have been registered either in New Zealand or in a country where the relevant vehicle standards are mandatory.

At present second-hand parts salvaged from scrapped vehicles can be used for repairs if in good condition.

The proposal would mean new parts must be made by a manufacturer approved by the LTSA.

Replacement brake pads and shoes must be new, and made by a brake parts manufacturer approved by the LTSA.

9. Six-monthly warrant of fitness inspections will be mandatory at five years instead of six.

10. Enforcement efforts will be aimed at high-risk operators and less at those in the low-risk category.

So, if a commercial vehicle's track record is good, the interval between certificates of fitness could be lengthened. But those with a bad record would have it shortened.

11. If a vehicle failed its certificate of fitness inspection because of a serious defect, the testing station will have the power to cancel the certificate immediately.

At present, if a vehicle fails the operator has up to 28 days to have it repaired and reinspected.

What are the implications of some of the proposals?


Proposal 1. The average price of imported cars would go up. Industry groups estimate used imports meeting the rule would cost $1000 more.

2. There could be increased costs and delays in getting some vehicles released to importers.

4. Some of the components removed would still have life in them and removing them could be seen as a waste.

5. Crash repair costs could be pushed up, making it uneconomic to fix older vehicles.

6. A cost increase of about $30 a belt.

8. Extra cost, plus someone would have to administer the system of approving component manufacturers.

How do I find out more about the proposals in order to comment?

The LTSA is seeking feedback on the proposals, which can be downloaded from its website, or ordered by ringing 0800 699 000. The telephone line is staffed from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday.

The deadline for submissions is August 31.

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