Warrant of Fitness consultant and Northland Road Safety Trust trustee Frank Lundberg. Photo / Steve Macmillan
Warrant of Fitness consultant and Northland Road Safety Trust trustee Frank Lundberg. Photo / Steve Macmillan
Road Safety Week kicked off yesterday. Today, Northland Road Safety Trust (NRST) trustee Frank Lundberg speaks about how better vehicle checks and driver training could save lives.
Frank Lundberg has more than 50 years of experience in vehicle safety and compliance.
As an active Warrant of Fitness (WoF) consultantworking across Northland and Auckland, he works closely with vehicle inspectors to uphold NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) safety standards.
“I have seen things in my career where people have died when they didn’t need to – all because a WoF check wasn’t done properly.”
Lundberg has witnessed the consequences of poor road safety first-hand, including a 1994 crash at Duck Creek in Dargaville, where four young people died.
“I recall another fatal crash in Paparoa where a car hit a tree,” he said. “Trees don’t move. The car had split in half, as had the gearbox and engine, and the flywheel was 60 metres away in a paddock.”
“The role was to look for anything untoward that may have contributed to the crash.”
In the years since, Lundberg has established himself as an independent WoF consultant, now working with 170 garages and workshops from Auckland north.
“When you know you’re doing a good job and looking out for people, that’s the best thing. As an inspector, my message to drivers is simple: keep your vehicle maintenance up.
“By maintaining your vehicle, you effectively get a safety check between warrants. A steering or brake fault is enough to pull your vehicle into the other lane – and that can be catastrophic.”
The adjustments, to come into effect in the coming years, are expected to deliver between $2.6 billion and $4.1b in net benefits over 30 years, Minister of Transport Chris Bishop said, due to reduced inspection fees, less time spent on compliance and fewer unnecessary repairs.
Lundberg also has strong views on improving driver behaviour.
“I would like every learner driver to do a defensive driving course. Younger drivers are getting more confident, sometimes too confident, and they often want to push the limit.”
Lundberg is deeply committed to keeping people safe on our roads.
When he was invited to join the Northland Road Safety Trust (NRST) as a trustee in 2024, he was thrilled.
“Joining NRST allows me to contribute to strategies that enhance road safety across Northland, reducing accidents and fatalities while supporting those who provide road safety training.”
Lundberg said being part of an organisation focused on road safety locally is a privilege.
“I am driven to serve the community that has been home for decades.”
Brake New Zealand says the number of fatal crashes in New Zealand is declining, but not fast enough.
In 2025, 272 people died on the road nationwide. That was down from 291 in 2024. Northland recorded 23 road deaths last year, compared with 27 in 2024.
Crosses on the roadside on State Highway 1, Northland give a graphic reminder of the region's high road death rate. Photo / NZME
The charity is spearheading Road Safety Week, which urges greater awareness of the risks of driving and a call to action for infrastructure improvements.
“Road safety is something that affects all of us year-round and it is something we can sometimes become a bit complacent with,” Brake NZ’s director Caroline Perry said.
Northland Road Safety Week runs until Sunday. The annual Road Safety Hero run/walk of the Hātea Loop, Whangārei, takes place at 1pm on Friday, when the 24 lives lost in Northland road crashes in 2025 will be acknowledged.
To register for the 2026 Road Safety Heroes walk/run, fill out this form.
