Proposed changes to the Warrant of Fitness system could result in over 80 preventable road deaths per year, said a panel of experts at a press conference in Auckland today. The expert panel – led by veteran road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson – says officials have deliberately underestimated the number of probable deaths and injuries that could result from the changes.
“Transport officials say increasing the time between WoF checks from 6 months to 12 months will cause only a few extra deaths per year. However, the government appears to have deliberately ignored research that completely contradicts this view.”
According to the government, vehicle safety problems detected during Warrant of Fitness inspections contribute to about 2.5 per cent of all fatal and injury crashes. However, German research suggests that up to 10% of vehicle accidents are caused or strongly affected by defects in the vehicle. Monash University in Australia, suggests the figure could be up to 24%. (see pdf below) Australian vehicle accident expert Chris Coxon, who co-founded Australia’s ANCAP crash test program, is deeply concerned at the standard of the research behind the changes to the WOF regulations.
“The New Zealand government scientists appear to have deliberately excluded research that didn’t support the government position. That’s not science. No scientist should ever exclude data merely because it doesn’t support his case.”
Coxon, who has spent decades as a road safety advisor to the New Zealand government, adds:
“I don’t know whose figures are correct. However, where human lives are concerned, it pays to be very cautious, I think the New Zealand government needs to go back to square one and research this issue properly before proceeding with the planned WOF changes.”
Government scientists acknowledge that the WOF changes will lead to an increase in road deaths, but suggest that the numbers will be quite low: between 0.7 and 33.6 extra fatalities per year. see pdf below) However, if the Monash University figure is correct, then the actual road deaths that result from the WOF changes could be many times higher: up to 80 extra deaths per year. see pdf below)
Racing driver and road safety educator, Greg Murphy, says vehicle defects are far more important than many people realise.
“The quality of tyres, brakes and your suspension can mean the difference between life and death on a racetrack – and they’re just as important on the roads we use every day.” “New Zealand has old cars and really rough roads. For about three quarters of Kiwis whose cars are over six years old, a WoF check twice a year is how they know their cars are safe.”
Alan Parker, who manages a testing station in the working-class district of Glen Innes in Auckland, says:
“No one who has inspected cars for a living can support extending the period between WOF inspections. I promise you, in my district, many vehicles have significant safety issues even after six months. The thought of extending the period between WOFs to 12 months horrifies me.” “Don't be fooled that a longer inspection period means you'll save money. If I'm issuing a WOF that has to last twelve months, I’ll be much more cautious and there'll be no more warnings about slightly worn items. This is going to be expensive for anyone with an older car.” “In a working-class district like mine, I suspect that a tougher WOF inspection will simply mean more people drop out of the system and drive around without any WoF at all."
Matthew-Wilson, who edits the car review website dogandlemon.com, is also alarmed that the economics of the WoF changes haven’t been properly costed.
“The government is now saying that they’ll make up for the loss of safety with more police roadside inspections. To be effective, roadside inspections would need to be frequent and widespread. The costs for this would probably be in the tens of millions, yet the government is telling us that the WOF changes will save money. We’ve seen no budgets or plans for how these police roadside inspections will work, and the government hasn’t told us what other police duties will suffer as a result of increased police roadside inspections of vehicles.” “Policemen aren’t mechanics; the average policeman can’t detect whether the airbag warning light has been disconnected or if the directional tyre tread is appropriately positioned. Those judgement calls are the work of trained WOF technicians at government-approved testing stations. That’s where the safety assessments should be done, not by a policeman at the side of the road.”
Matthew-Wilson adds:
“The ultimate irony about these changes to the WOF system is that most people are perfectly comfortable with the system as it is.”
