OC251179
12 February 2026
Frank Peter Anderton
[FYI request #33371 email]
Tēnā koe Frank,
I refer to your email of 23 December 2025, requesting the following under the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act):
“I would like to request reports, advice, analysis and estimates of impacts including all
contracted and commissioned assessments on the social costs and estimated crash effects
of the previous (2014) changes to the WoF requirements introduced.”
Three documents fall within the scope of your request.
• Document 1 assessed the potential effects of the Vehicle Licencing Reform 2014 before it
took effect. Its key findings are that the WoF policy was expected to deliver net benefits to
the nation, but it would also result in a slight increase in the number of injury crashes.
• Document 2 was a first stage high-level evaluation of the potential safety effects of the WoF
policy after it took effect. It found a slight increase in the risk of death and serious injury
crashes, after controlling for increases in travel and the size of the vehicle fleet.
• Document 3 was a second stage evaluation of the key costs and benefits of the WoF policy
after it took effect. It found a slightly higher safety effect (due in part to higher than
anticipated travel and fleet growth) and higher compliance-cost benefits. It also concluded
the WoF policy produced net benefits even when a high and unrealistic adjustment about
Police under-reporting of vehicle defects has been made.
Annex 1 outlines how the three documents have been treated under the Act. Certain information is
withheld under the following sections of the Act:
9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons
Regarding the information that has been withheld under section 9 of the Act, I am satisfied that the
reasons for withholding the information at this time are not outweighed by public interest
considerations that would make it desirable to make the information available.
transport.govt.nz | hei-arataki.nz
HEAD OFFICE: PO Box 3175, Wellington 6140, New Zealand. PH: +64 4 439 9000
AUCKLAND OFFICE: NZ Government Auckland Policy Office, PO Box 106483, Auckland 1143, New Zealand. PH: +64 4 439 9000
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of this response by the Ombudsman, in
accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The relevant details can be found on the Ombudsman’s
websit
e www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
The Ministry publishes our Official Information Act responses, and the information contained in our
reply to you may be published on the Ministry’s website. Before publishing we wil remove any
personal or identifiable information.
Nāku noa, nā
Joanne Leung
Chief Economist and Manager
transport.govt.nz | hei-arataki.nz
Page 2 of 3
Annex 1. Document schedule
Doc #
Date
Title of Document
Decision on request
1
December 2012
Cost Benefit Analysis Report: Warrant of Fitness Reform Options
Released in full
2
April 2022
Vehicle Licensing Reform (VLR) evaluation – Phase 1 report on safety
Released in full
3
November 2023
Vehicle Licensing Reform – Phase 2 Evaluation Report
Released with some information withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act
transport.govt.nz | hei-arataki.nz
HEAD OFFICE: PO Box 3175, Wellington 6140, New Zealand. PH: +64 4 439 9000
AUCKLAND OFFICE: NZ Government Auckland Policy Office, PO Box 106483, Auckland 1143, New Zealand. PH: +64 4 439 9000
