Govt warned negatives of motorcycle WOF changes may outweigh benefits

Author: Azaria Howell,
Publish Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2026, 5:00am

The Government has been told the negatives of Warrant of Fitness changes for motorcycles may outweigh the positives, but overall WoF changes will bring about “large” economic benefits.

From November, motorbikes registered before January 1, 2000 will require annual Warrant of Fitness (WoF) inspections instead of checks every six months. Motorbikes registered after that date will remain on an annual check.

The changes are part of a wider package that will see new cars needing their second WoF after four years, up from three. Cars between four and 14 years old will move from annual to two-yearly WoF inspections.

Associate Transport Minister James Meager said the Government has taken a more cautious approach to motorcycles “precisely because of their over-representation in crash data”.

Ministry of Transport officials said that over representation may reflect a range of factors “including rider behaviour, the limited physical protection offered by motorcycles, and vehicle condition”.

In a proactively released briefing, officials told the Government that modelling was not definitive, but “suggests the negative safety effects of longer inspection intervals may outweigh compliance savings”.

They estimated WoF non-compliance at any given time is estimated at 13-16%.

“Vehicles that are not well maintained are more likely to have defects and be involved in crashes that lead to injuries and deaths,” officials said.

“Extending inspection intervals increases the likelihood that safety critical defects develop and remain undetected for longer between inspection (estimated at 0.6% to 1.3% increase in defect related crash risks over 30 years), with estimated additional crash costs of $351m–$776m across the system," the Government was told.

“The risk increase is modest relative to the large net economic benefits ($2.6b–$4.1b over 30 years) from fewer inspections, reduced compliance time, and avoided unnecessary repairs", officials added.

Meager reiterated that the modelling showed uncertainty, and results were “not definitive”.

“It is also important to acknowledge that the modelling reflects a range of conservative assumptions. For example, the assumption that where a vehicle defect was identified in crash data, it was that defect caused the crash. This is a significant assumption which reflects the limitations of the modelling,” Meager said.

He also said no comparable jurisdiction requires six-monthly motorcycle inspections.

“Countries including Germany, Japan, and Australia inspect at two-year intervals or at change of ownership and achieve comparable or better safety outcomes. New Zealand’s six-monthly requirement for older motorcycles was an outlier, and the evidence does not support retaining it,” Meager said.

“Core safety items such as tyres, brakes, lights, steering, and suspension continue to be checked at every inspection. The wider reform package also strengthens enforcement and increases penalties for drivers who fail to keep their vehicles roadworthy between inspections.”

Meager previously said changes mean compulsory inspections will be focused on where they make the biggest difference to safety.

“We’re confident that the changes will not come at the expense of road safety. Inspections are being expanded to include modern safety systems, and the Government will also strengthen penalties for non-compliance and increase public education,” he said.

Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament’s press gallery. She joined NZME in 2022 and became a Newstalk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending.