Drivers ignore registrations but tougher penalties await

Rotorua drivers who repeatedly flout the law by driving unregistered or uncertified cars may soon find themselves walking.
New transport regulations coming into effect will see drivers on the roads in unlicensed or unwarranted vehicles receiving reduced fines - but getting demerit points on their driver's licences.
That means they risk losing them.
Any driver who gets 100 demerit points in a two-year period is automatically disqualified from driving for three months.
Information provided to The Daily Post by the New Zealand Transport Agency shows there are nearly 20,000 vehicles in the Bay of Plenty region that don't have current registrations. Nearly half of those are from Rotorua.
From May 1, motorists caught driving a non-legal vehicle or one on which licence labels or registration plates aren't displayed will receive a reduced fine but up to 20 demerit points.
At the moment, drivers incur fines of up to $200 for failing to display or for not having current registrations or a warrant of fitness.
These fines will continue if tickets are issued by parking wardens as only drivers behind the wheel can get demerit points.
A Rotorua mother-of-five, who wished to be identified only as Stella, said the risk of earning demerit points would force many drivers to ensure they were legally on the road.
"I think it will encourage people to try harder if they think they could lose their licence," she said.
Her family's BMW has been unregistered for five months and she has received tickets in the past for non-registration.
They only drive the car to buy groceries or to take one of the children to the doctor.
"We try not to draw any unwanted attention by police because we aren't legal," she said.
The car needed a new transmission to bring it up to warrant of fitness standard, which they could not afford, Stella said.
"It's not that we don't want to pay to be legal, we just can't afford it at this stage. I think most people can't afford it and think they will pay next week or next month but it never happens because some other bill gets in the way," she said.
A check by The Daily Post of Rotorua cars parked in the central city found 48 unregistered vehicles in one day.
Two displayed registrations dating back to 2009 - one with a damaged front guard and broken light with rust in exposed metal.
Another had a blank sleeve where the label should have been and two had no sign of a registration or warrant of fitness on the front windscreen.
Rotorua District Council parking meter officers issue about 102 infringements most weeks to owners for failing to display a current registration or licence.
Council manager of regulatory services Jim Nicklin said people used a range of excuses for flouting the law - from the New Zealand Transport Agency not sending out reminders to not being able to afford the registration fee.
Sometimes people accidently put the label in the pocket behind an old one in their car and received an infringement notice which could later be waived, Mr Nicklin said.
"A lot are just deliberately flouting the law hoping to get away with it - that they won't get caught," he said.
Rotorua Police senior sergeant Denton Grimes said police issued between 15 and 20 tickets to people driving unregistered vehicles in any given week.
Mr Grimes said some of the remarks from drivers receiving infringement notices were: 'You're just revenue gathering", "why aren't you catching real criminals", "I don't care. I'm not going to pay it" and "Where am I going to get the money to pay for the registration?"
Transport Minister Steven Joyce said the changes to the licensing regulations would prevent fraud and were a deterrent for those who tried to dodge paying.
"We know there are people who would currently rather risk the fine than pay their licensing fees," he said.
"That's unfair to other law-abiding citizens."
Other moves to be introduced include owners surrendering licence plates when putting registrations on hold or for applications to be declined from someone who has been caught driving a car with the registration put on hold.
 
PENALTIES
Unregistered vehicle
Current penalty: $200
New penalty: $150 plus 20 demerit points
No registration plates
Current Penalty:$200
New penalty: $150 plus 20 demerit points
Driving while registration on hold
Current Penalty:$200
New penalty: $150 plus 20 demerit points
Unlicensed vehicle
Current Penalty: $200
New penalty: $100 plus 15 demerit points
Failing to display registration
Current Penalty: $200
New penalty: $75

UNREGISTERED VEHICLES:
Rotorua - 8732
Taupo - 4391
Whakatane - 4610
Kawerau - 944
Opotiki - 1496
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Total - 20173