Rotorua drivers shouldn't wait for their warrant of fitness inspection to check the roadworthiness of their cars, a local head traffic cop says.
The comments follow a spate of fatal accidents involving non-warranted vehicles.
The Motor Trade Association (MTA) also warns the onus is on motorists to ensure cars are fit for the road now WoF checks are set to be less frequent.
Several crashes in recent months involved cars that shouldn't have been on the road, with some having gone years without safety checks.
As of July this year, about 1.2 million cars made after 2000 will now be checked annually instead of every six months.