New rule clarifies safety requirements for vehicle equipment

Minister for Transport Safety Hon Harry Duynhoven today announced the signing of a new Land Transport Rule clarifying safety requirements for vehicle equipment items including fuel tanks and child restraints.
The Vehicle Equipment Rule will clarify or consolidate existing regulations and is largely intended to make safety requirements clearer to those carrying out Warrant of Fitness (WoF) and Certificate of Fitness (CoF) inspections.
Mr Duynhoven said few vehicle owners would be directly affected by the new rule.
“Most vehicles are already fitted with the required equipment and are also likely to meet the new requirements relating to fuel tanks and fuel lines,” he said.
Under the Vehicle Equipment Rule, fuel tanks and fuel lines must be checked at WoF and CoF inspections. While these items of equipment have always been required to be 'safe', the rule now specifically includes them as an inspection requirement.
The rule also extends accepted standards for child restraints by adding a new Japanese standard to accommodate some Japanese vehicles that are manufactured with in-built child restraints. Previously, child restraints had to comply with the approved vehicle standards of Australia/New Zealand, Europe or the USA.
Mr Duynhoven said a combination of cost, choice and safety considerations for consumers led to the addition of the Japanese Technical Standard.
“Accepting the standards of these jurisdictions allows New Zealand to benefit from safety advances made internationally while giving consumers access to a wide range of affordable, safe and modern child restraints,” he said.
The rule also carries over existing legislation on vehicle exhaust noise, which requires that a modified exhaust system should not be noticeably and significantly louder than the original equipment.
The Vehicle Equipment Rule will come into effect on 27 February 2005. The rule can be viewed on-line at www.ltsa.govt.nz.