What is the problem?
The average age of our light vehicles is 14 years old. This is old by international standards and it means our vehicles are less safe than those in other countries with more modern fleets.
Older vehicles generally have fewer safety features and technology providing less protection & warnings to their occupants in the event of a crash or near miss.
What are we doing about it?
There is significant room for improvement in our current vehicle fleet. We will encourage vehicles with the latest safety features to enter the New Zealand fleet as soon as possible to replace old vehicles that do not have these safety technologies. We will also encourage businesses and parents to buy the safest ANCAP rated vehicle with their available budget, over the cheapest.
In the Road to Zero Action Plan 2020-2022 Focus Area 2 Vehicle Safety highlights the key strategic direction by the Government and partners.
Significantly improve the safety performance of the vehicle fleet: Initial actions –
- Raise the safety standards for for vehicles entering New Zealand
- Increase understanding of vehicle safety
- Implement mandatory ABS for motorcycles