Cars under Level 3 Covid-19 restrictions: What you can and can't do

Wednesday, 22 April 2020

With lockdown moving into Level 3 next week, there have been a few questions around what you can and can't do with regard to vehicles under the new rules. Here's a quick breakdown.

The Police have now charged nearly 4000 people with breaching lockdown restrictions, many in last weekend just before the Prime Minister announced the country will move next week to Alert Level 3.

First off, although we are able to extend our bubbles slightly, travel should still only be undertaken for essential reasons. That means no dusting off the old girl for an Italian tune - yet!

Do I need to renew my WOF and rego?

According to the NZ Transport Agency, the following have been temporarily extended:

Can you renew your WoF under Level 3 lockdown?

WoFs and CoFs, driver licences that expired on or after 1 January 2020.
Other vehicle certifications which expired on or after 1 January 2020, including alternative fuel inspection certificates, permits authorising use of vehicles with conditions, and heavy vehicle specialist certifications of towing connections and log bolster attachments.
Endorsements (including drivers of small and large passenger services and dangerous good endorsements held by some truck drivers) that expired on or after 1 March 2020.

The legislative changes also allow a temporary suspension of the requirement to have a current vehicle licence if the vehicle licence expired on or after 1 January 2020.

* What Level 3 means for the automotive industry

You can and should renew your rego, although you can only do it online for the time being. Labels are still being posted out.

* Covid-19: Government extends expired WoFs, regos, and licenses by six months

* Coronavirus: essential car questions**

The NZTA says expiry dates will be set once business starts adjusting back to normal. This 'could extend up until 6 October 2020.

'We will let you know as we set these dates and will ensure you have plenty of time to get your documents compliant.'

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Phil Twyford has said all driver licences, WoFs, CoFs, and some vehicle certifications, that expired on or after January 1, 2020 would now be valid for up to six months from April 10, 2020.

Other changes included extending license endorsements that expired on or after March 1, 2020 and a suspension of the requirement to display a current vehicle licence (rego) if it expired on or after January 1, 2020.

Despite the lockdown level lowering, we still can't go out for recreational drives. Essential travel only.

This means that WoFs expiring during lockdown won't need to be immediately renewed. As dealerships and mechanics slowly open back up, you could book your vehicle in but remember it isn't urgent.

At the moment, regos can only be renewed online and posted. If you don't have access to the internet, you may want to consider asking for help from someone you trust who has Internet access.

NZTA says you can continue to operate your car with the old expired labels (with an expiry date of 1 January 2020 or later) for the time being.

What about servicing?

With regard to servicing and repairs, Motor Industry Association Chief Executive David Crawford said recently distributors of new vehicles and their franchised dealerships are carefully preparing to re-open for business.

'In a Covid-19 constrained world, operating at Level 3 will not be business as usual, it is a careful step towards restarting businesses that have put in place adequate steps to limit the transmission of Covid-19. This will require operating in a customer contactless manner, while providing a Covid-19 free safe working environment for employees.'

Dealers and distributors across the country will implement more stringent safety measures before re-opening. This includes contactless interaction, home pick-up and drop off services and, for those looking to buy new vehicles, virtual tours via video calling.

While servicing will be available Crawford cautioned that requests may be deferred or not possible until more restrictions are lifted.

If your vehicle doesn't desperately need a service, consider waiting a couple more weeks to allow for those who do need work done.

So far, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Renault, Toyota, Isuzu, Hyundai and Subaru have indicated they will re-open. Stuff has reached out to other distributors, but had yet to hear at the time of publication.

If you do need to step out for essential reasons, make sure your car is still safe to use. At a minimum, vehicle owners need to self-inspect their vehicles using the TWIRL procedure (tyres, windscreen, wipers, mirrors, indicators, rust and lights) to assess their vehicle's safety. Obviously, all normal road rules still apply.

For more information on keeping your car up to scratch while in lockdown, check here and here.