Staggered dates ‘pragmatic’

The Motor Trade Association (MTA) says the government’s announcement to make ESC mandatory follows many other countries and will bring New Zealand into line with industry best practice. It believes the staggered introduction being taken by Michael Woodhouse, Associate Minister of Transport, is pragmatic and sensible. “By providing a timetable, the government will allow the industry plenty of time to prepare and make necessary changes,” says MTA spokesman Ian Stronach. “It recognises differing needs by vehicle type and the fact some classes of vehicle are already more likely to have it as standard.” Considering SUVs’ popularity on these shores but their higher roll-over risk, the MTA feels it’s appropriate they are among the earliest-targeted used imports. Many larger capacity vehicles imported second-hand already have ESC fitted, which the MTA says makes it more straightforward for importers to source stock to meet the requirements. It doesn’t expect the changes to significantly effect prices, but they could affect the availability of some models of used imports. “It will be more a matter of sourcing suitable vehicles,” says Stronach. “These may need to be newer models and may be slightly more expensive.”