On the face of it, there'll be plenty of motorists rejoicing at the Government's proposal to push out warrant of fitness testing from every six months to possibly yearly.
Steep fuel prices and the cost of warrants and registration make owning and running a motor vehicle an increasingly expensive business.
Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee last week announced a review of vehicle licensing, including the inspection system, which at present is considered one of the most frequent in the world. At present, a car must undergo a warrant of fitness check every six months, unless it is less than five years old, in which case the checks become annual.
Even the smallest of savings will be welcomed by cash-strapped motorists. However, almost every driver will surely also recognise the need for any change to be balanced against the need for road safety. At a time when the downward-trending road toll would suggest drivers are finally beginning to get the message around keeping themselves safe, it would be a huge step backwards to start compromising on vehicle safety.
VTNZ chief executive Mike Walsh has already gone public claiming if warrant checks were to become less frequent, the tests would need to become tougher.
This seems a smart move - it stands to reason that if vehicles are going to go longer without being tested, when they do get inspected, there is a higher safety threshold that needs to be met.
In that way, drivers can potentially save time and money, without putting themselves and others at risk.
