More than 490,000 vehicles due for inspection as extended WoF deadline looms

Monday, 29 November 2021

Each year more than 4 million warrant of fitness inspections are carried out by 8000 inspectors. VINZ Christchurch site manager Billy Green explains a WOF check. (File video first published in 2019)

Temporary extensions for expired Warrants of Fitness (WoFs) and Certificates of Fitness (CoFs) expire at midnight on Tuesday and Waka Kotahi the New Zealand Transport Agency says there are still 494,664 affected vehicles yet to be inspected.

Waka Kotahi senior manager for safer vehicles Nicole Botherway urged the owners of vehicles with extended WoFs or CoFs to book their vehicles in for inspection as soon as possible in order to ensure they remained safe.

“WoF and CoF services have been available to all vehicle owners at most inspections sites in areas of the country under alert level 3,” she said.

The extensions were brought in to allow those affected by the Covid-19 lockdowns to continue driving and using their cars legally while alert level restrictions prevented them from renewing documents.

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Roughly 72 per cent of vehicles affected by extended deadlines have now had a WoF or CoF inspection.

The extension also covers vehicle registrations (regos) and driver licences. Any WoFs, CoFs, regos, and driver licences that expired since July 21 are covered by the extension.

Waka Kotahi figures show a total of 1,795,061 vehicles were covered by the extension – these are vehicles with WoF or CoFs which would have expired between July and November.

Roughly 72 per cent of affected vehicles had now had a WoF or CoF inspection, with 494,664, or 28 per cent, yet to be inspected.

The Auckland region accounted for 34 per cent of all inspections remaining.

The AA urged motorists not to see WoFs as a tick-box exercise.

Meanwhile, 23 per cent of extended vehicle licences had not been renewed. Waka Kotahi was unable to estimate how many licences this constituted.

From December 1 the five-year limit (the requirement to sit a theory test at renewal, and the 90-day restriction on renewal) will be removed from learner and restricted driver licences.

Waka Kotahi said these changes were expecting to alleviate pressure on the driver licensing system created by the backlog from Covid-19 lockdowns.

AA lobbies against further extension

AA motor services general manager Jonathan Sergel said the organisation had lobbied the Government, along with the wider industry, not to extend the deadline for WoFs further.

“We were also concerned about the safety ramifications of having vehicles on the roads for longer with expired WoFs as we know – while there are motorists who have been diligently ensuring their cars are roadworthy – there are also many motorists who treat getting a WoF as their default safety check.”

Sergel since AA sites had opened for WoFs under level 3 the organisation had seen high demand.

Due to increased pressure from prolonged level 4 lockdowns in Auckland, Sergel said there were limited spots at the AA’s service centres.

“Our advice is do not wait, get in now and get your car compliant as soon as possible. Getting a WoF is not just about ticking boxes – it is an independent safety assessment for your vehicle by a professional, which ensures everything from your car’s tyres, to its brakes and airbags are in good working order.”