Victory for vintage vehicle and private motorhome owners

Transport Minister Chris Bishop says that from 1 September, law changes will see vintage light vehicles and private heavy motorhomes moving to annual vehicle inspections rather than six-monthly.

“Everyone loves spotting a beautifully kept vintage car out for a Sunday drive, and cruising around our beautiful country in a motorhome is a classic Kiwi dream,” Mr Bishop says.

“There are about 128,000 vintage vehicles and 39,000 private motorhomes registered in New Zealand. Until now, their owners have had to front up for a Warrant or Certificate of Fitness inspection every six months, even though these vehicles are driven far less than your average modern car.

“Evidence shows that vintage vehicles and motorhomes are half as likely to have a contributing fault in a serious crash, even after adjusting for how many of them are on the road. And when it comes to passing a WoF inspection, vintage vehicles actually perform better than vehicles under 40 years old.

“In fact, once a vehicle hits 40, its pass rates go up, proof that hitting middle age isn’t all bad news.

“Earlier this year, the Government consulted on reducing the frequency of those inspections to six-monthly. Public support was overwhelmingly in favour of making this change.

“I’m pleased to confirm that from 1 September, vintage light vehicles and private heavy motorhomes will only require annual inspections instead of six-monthly.

“Owners of these vehicles can now spend less time on bureaucracy and queueing for a vehicle inspection, and more time where they’d rather be – under the bonnet or out on the road. 

“For drivers of modern cars, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you. The Government will also be reviewing WOF/COF frequency and inspection requirements for other light vehicles as part of the Land Transport Rules Reform Programme. We’ll have more to say on this soon.”