Motorists slow on uptake of free WOF retests
More than 20,000 motorists have ignored an offer of free warrant of fitness (WOF) checks, despite a worryingly high failure rate among those retested.
By Christmas the New Zealand Transport Agency had asked close to 25,000 vehicle owners to get retests done after a review led to the suspension of about a dozen garages and individuals found to be issuing suspect WOFs.
Of 4070 vehicles retested as of last week, 60 per cent had failed their first reinspection.
Law firm Meredith Connell is overseeing the agency’s compliance work, and managing partner Steve Haszard urged people to get their vehicles rechecked without delay.
‘‘So far, just 16 per cent of vehicle owners have had their vehicles rechecked. Of those, 83 per cent have now passed after reinspection, but just 40 per cent passed their first reinspection.’’
Even after one or more reinspections were done, there were still 688 vehicles that had not passed a WOF at the time the data was compiled on January 9.
Haszard said the agency could not legally compel owners to get their vehicles reinspected, but it was important because they may not have been properly checked during previous WOFs.
A review of substandard WOF outlets found that they failed to properly inspect brakes, lights, steering, tyres, exhaust systems and seatbelts, and in some cases unqualified staff were allowed to issue warrants.
The transport agency is meeting recheck costs and has been contacting affected owners by letter and through follow-up phone calls since late last year.
Most of the WOF outlets subject to the recall are in Auckland, with others in Northland, Hamilton, Te Aroha and Tokoroa.
The highest failure rate of 77 per cent was for Te Aroha vehicle inspector Aaron Grant, with 68 out of 88 vehicles not passing their first reinspection. Beemac Motors in Tokoroa was not far behind.
The issue of substandard warrants was highlighted by a fatal Dargaville crash last January in which a front-seat passenger died, and it later transpired his frayed seatbelt had been passed in a WOF issued a month earlier by a Dargaville garage.