Vision Zero: Older cars make our roads less safe, but upgrading presents challenges

Monday, 17 December 2018

Old cars are killing us, but consumer choice and financial implications mean no one is looking to scrap them.

New Zealand has one of the oldest vehicle fleets in the OECD, and despite well-intentioned efforts to bring our light vehicle fleet up to a higher standard, the process is not a straightforward one.

With almost all of the country's vehicles imported from overseas, the best our government can do is impose regulations on cars coming here from abroad - and there have been moves made.

But there are limitations as to how far it can go, and in the interests of fairness, there are no plans to phase out the country's existing fleet in favour of newer, safer vehicles.

**READ MORE:

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* Vision Zero: Life-saving median barriers coming to a road near you

New Zealand's light vehicle fleet has an average age of 14 years old, and it's getting older

In 2009, the average age of vehicles coming into the country was 12.5 years.

According to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), the proportion of new vehicles entering the fleet is 'very low', and people can still buy cars which do not have an ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Programme) safety rating.

Put simply, older vehicles are not equipped with some of the safety features of their more modern counterparts, and lead to more crash deaths and serious injuries.

Analysis by the Ministry of Transport to June last year shows people involved in a crash in a car 20 years old or more were 60 per cent more likely to die or suffer serious injuries compared with those in a car which was just 10 years old.

Twenty per cent of New Zealand's cars are more than 20 years old, while 3 per cent are more than 35 years old.

New Zealand's hands are tied somewhat by the vehicle safety standards of other countries from which it imports its cars, but the government has made some moves.

As part of its Safe System approach, all imported cars will need to have electronic stability control (ESC) from March 2020.

The same applies to new vehicles which gained road certification after June 2015, and used vehicles with an engine bigger than two litres which hit the roads from March this year. There are exceptions, mainly for buyers of special interest vehicles such as classic cars.

Other minimum safety standards are also being looked at, such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), fatigue warning system, seatbelt reminder, lane-keep assist, and intersection collision warning systems.

But none of the measures are mandatory, and for both practical and political reasons, phasing out our existing, ageing fleet in favour of a safer and more modern one is not on the agenda.

While new minimum safety standards are being looked at for imported vehicles, the Ministry of Transport said before anything could be done, several implications needed to be looked at – including the financial impact on drivers.

'Updating New Zealand's vehicle fleet has impacts on supply and consumer choice,' safety and mobility manager Brent Johnston said.

'It particularly impacts lower-income households which may be unable to afford a modern vehicle.

'We would also need to consider people's ability to travel, especially to get to work, which is the most common use for a private car.

'Requiring owners to scrap their vehicles is not being considered.'

Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter acknowledged modern safety features could be the difference between life and death in a crash. 

They were being considered as part of a potential Vision Zero policy, which had been successful in countries like Sweden, Norway, and Australia.

Genter also hoped to take a paper to Cabinet later this month requiring all imported motorbikes to be fitted with anti-lock braking systems. 

The technology would help to prevent skidding and potentially reduce motorcycle crashes by up to 33 per cent.