The Government is considering banning the importation of cars with a low safety rating, which could see some of New Zealand's most popular models disappear from our roads.
A report obtained by RNZ reveals vehicles with a one or two-star rating would be prevented from entering the vehicle fleet under the proposed road safety strategy.
The Government is also considering accelerating the removal of those cars from the current fleet.
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If the strategy is implemented, three of the country's five most popular used car models could be pulled.
The Suzuki Swift is the second most popular secondhand car in New Zealand, but due to its low safety rating it would no longer be imported. The official Used Car Safety Ratings gives Swifts manufactured between 2005 and 2010 two stars, while the 2011-2016 model gets just one.
Toyota Corollas, the fourth most popular used car, would also be banned - but only those manufactured before 2008. The 1994-1997 Nova model has a one-star rating, as does the 1998-2001 Allex model. Corollas produced between 2002 and 2007 have a two-star rating.
The Mazda Demio is New Zealand's fifth favourite used car, but it too could be for the chop. The 2002-2007 model has a one-star safety rating while the later 2007-2014 Demio has two.
The Vehicle, Vehicle Standards and Certification Reference Group is one of five groups advising the Government in its development of a new road safety strategy, which will be implemented in 2020 to replace Safer Journeys.
Banning the importation of "unsafe light vehicles" with a one or two-star safety rating was one of the group's top priorities, RNZ reports.
The Transport Agency uses the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) as a safety rating until cars are seven years old, after which the Used Car Safety Ratings are used.
Used Car Safety Ratings are calculated based on about one million crashes in Australia and New Zealand in the last 20 years.
Newshub.
