Call for steady approach to safety
The Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (VIA) has welcomed government plans to mandate a number of safety features on imports, but it is warning officials against moving too fast on introducing the changes.
The coalition recently announced proposals to reform transport rules, including those related to entry compliance.
If approved, new and used light and heavy vehicles crossing the border would need to have automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep support systems, and acoustic vehicle-alert systems for electric and hybrid vehicles.
While VIA supports the goal of improving fleet safety, it is urging officials to design implementation timelines that reflect New Zealand’s import market and Japan’s production and compliance schedules.
“New Zealand’s fleet gets safer faster when Kiwis can afford to upgrade,” adds Greig Epps, VIA’s chief executive.
“If mandates land before these features are genuinely standard across Japan’s existing fleet, import options shrink, prices rise and people hold on to older cars longer. That’s the opposite of what we all want.”
He notes AEB and other advanced systems have rapidly become features of new models in Japan, which is the primary source of New Zealand’s used vehicles, but coverage across all existing models takes longer.
VIA is recommending any mandates match the typical age of used imports, eight to 12 years, and the point at which features are broadly available and affordable in Japan’s used market.
It proposes an early-to-mid 2030s target for universal AEB compliance, with staged milestones and verified supply and price checks before each step.
When it comes to lane-keep support systems, it wants the government to define whether a warning or assist function will be required and to only phase it in once supply and affordability are demonstrated.
An earlier pathway is suggested for approaching vehicle audible systems (AVAS) by using approved retrofit kits for EVs and hybrids, with full compliance achieved by 2031-2033.
“Our sector supplies cars around the $15,000 mark,” adds Epps, pictured. “If policy forces importers into scarcer, higher-spec variants, typical retail prices can jump by a couple of thousand dollars.
“Some buyers will simply stay in older vehicles that lack modern safety – a perverse outcome.”
He notes accelerated mandates risk creating a de facto age restriction on vehicles over about 10 years old, which will limit supply and inflate prices across the second-hand market.
To ensure any extra vehicle safety features don’t deliver any unnecessary shocks to the industry or consumers, VIA wants officials to consider three key points.
• Supply verification gates: Before each phase-in, officials should confirm sufficient Japanese stock with the required features exists at price points Kiwi families can afford.
• Retrofit and exemptions: Approved retrofit options, especially for AVAS, and sensible exemptions for edge cases such as disability vehicles, niche trims and low-volume commercial vehicles.
• Consumer education: Partner with industry to explain how AEB and lane-keep assist work, and their limits, so drivers get real-world benefits.
Epps says: “Our message is simple. Match the mandate to real-world supply. Bring in the best vehicles as they become genuinely available and don’t price everyday New Zealanders out of safer, cleaner transport.”
