New WoF system could mean more deaths - police

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Police worried over WoF changes

3News NZ

Police don't want to have to check tyre treads

Police don't want to have to check tyre treads

By Brook Sabin

Police are worried about the proposed shake-up of the warrant of fitness system, which they say could lead to more road deaths.

The concerns are outlined in documents obtained by 3 News, which also reveal police don't have enough money to do extra roadside warrant checks.

If the changes go ahead, police work may soon include checking tyre tread. Labour transport spokesman Phil Twyford says it may not be the best use of police time.

“I think New Zealanders want the police to be out there fighting crime, not checking the tyre treads and people's windscreen wipers on their cars.”

The Government has proposed a shake-up of the warrant of fitness scheme. Options include extending inspections out to yearly, or only having them each time a car is sold.

Now documents obtained under the Official Information Act reveal "police are concerned that reducing the frequency of inspections could create negative road safety outcomes”.

The reasons are blacked out - and police didn't want to comment.

Motor Trade Association spokesman Ian Stronach says people should be worried.

“It's significant that the police is opposed and have reservations, because they're going to be called on to do a lot of the work to make sure people stay safe. If they're worried, the rest of NZ should be.”

With fewer inspections comes extra risk. One option to mitigate that is to get police to do more comprehensive roadside warrant checks, but the documents reveal they've got no money to do it.

Police Association president Greg O’Connor says it could compromise other police work.

“If one of these four options was adopted and no more money was pumped in, there would be quite a few speeders going past police officers who were busy measuring tyre depth.”

The Government says it's too early to say what option will be adopted.

Debate is set to heat up, as submissions close tomorrow and already 3500 have been sent in.

3 News

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Comments

4/11/2012 6:37:21 a.m.

Matt wrote:

Very few accidents are caused through vehicle faults, I know this for a fact. Lets stop the bullshit and admit that it's all about the WOF stations losing money. Police do checks on WOF's anyway when they stop a vehicle and a cursory look at the tyres maybe, so having a WOF check every year will cause them no more work, and I know that for a fact aswell!

2/11/2012 10:38:24 a.m.

Dave C wrote:

Why dont the police rmeove the 250,00 unwarranted cars from NZ roads, and prosecute the owners. That would mek the roads safer for a star.

1/11/2012 9:27:34 p.m.

Richard wrote:

WOF are meant to be reassurances for drivers but for many they are just done to please authorities and the lawmakers. Unfortunately living to please the laws just makes society complacent or blaise. The better attitude is to regularly maintain for the sake of better personal reassurance.

1/11/2012 4:26:37 p.m.

Tallica1 wrote:

@Alison - I know many firemen who have stated most accidents are caused by dirver error, almost never from a car failure so don't jump the gun.

1/11/2012 2:06:17 p.m.

tom wrote:

What a load of baloney. The police would only have to check warrants if pull someone over, don't know what their game is, playing politics. Modern cars even 15 years old are better that new cars from the 50s - 60s - and seventies. The number of countries with annual or warrants on sale of vehicle, report very few accidents caused through poor maintenance.

1/11/2012 11:09:41 a.m.

alison wrote:

Even the police dont want the changes so Im guessing theyre just as sick and tired of having to clean up at accident sites as ambulance and firestaff. Maybe make the ministers go tell familys that their loved one has died.

1/11/2012 10:28:44 a.m.

Kevin wrote:

40% of vehicle fail the 6 monthly WOF is everyone happy for these vehicles to be on the road for another 6 months?

1/11/2012 8:51:43 a.m.

martin thomson wrote:

i would like to see twelve month wof on trailers ie boat caravans . 90% of them only registed for 6 months anyway. There are still to many older cars un registed un wof on the roads and not enough policing.People driving un registed cars probably dont have any insurance cover. I am fine with new cars up to 6 years old having yearly wof and after that perhaps a wof every 3oooo kms

1/11/2012 8:35:13 a.m.

jan wrote:

Leave the system as it is. It works, and having a car do a 6 month or yearly warrent is fine. If this tells you of what is about to go wrong and you can fix it before it really breaks then it will cost less and is a great way of doing a broad safety check for all cars. Think like going to a dentist. I go twice a year at about $115 for a check up and an x-ray if needed. I would rather pay this than not go and find out teeth extraction or a root canal is needed. I would rather prevent an accident in my car to myself and others than drive one which the brakes fail and I crash and kill myself or others. I would like to think others would have the same thoughts on safety too. Mike I agree in part with your comments but I suggest if you have just got a warrant and the cops say its illegal, then do some legal work of your own and take the cops to the dispute tribunal include the WOF issuer as well. In some of those cop programmes some cops give a person a few days to make good, others issue a ticket straight away, disgrestion its called or what type of attitude the cop has towards you. No just keep the WOF system the same,it works.

1/11/2012 6:44:27 a.m.

Mike wrote:

This article is bullshit.

Police already check tire depth.

If Police pull a vehicle over and have reason to check it, they also check tire depth.

Eg how many of the NZ police on TV shows have they shown Police ticket for illegal tires which fail legal tire depth, and the the occupants claim 'But it passed a Warrant bro' (if the vehicle had a warrant) and the police tell them that that doesn't matter and an illegal tire is an illegal tire.

That part of policing will not change.
The check would see a small tire depth indicator in police vehicles, much like in the above picture, and any vehicle they pull for some other reason they would use if the depth indicator where they feel sure it would fail, or if they have a camera crew watching.