Operator safety ratings

Certificate of fitness

Print version: Certificate of fitness (PDF, 121 KB, 2 pages)

Operator safety ratings will provide a fair and accurate indication of both the safety of an operator’s fleet and the operator’s compliance with land transport safety legislation. This infocard outlines the impact of certificate of fitness (CoF) inspections on an operator’s safety rating. It is one of a series aimed at encouraging excellence in the Operator Rating System (ORS).

Safety ratings are based on data collected on an operator and the operator’s vehicles and drivers. The data is generated from three types of safety related events that can occur during a rating period. The safety related events are:

• Certificate of fitness (CoF) inspections
• Roadside inspections
• Offences - driver and operator convictions and infringements

Crashes involving an operator’s vehicle are also recorded as an event in the operator’s Operator Rating System (ORS) history but will not form part of the calculation of the safety rating.

The first rating period will initially be six months, but will increase to 24 months over time.

Passing a CoF on first inspection will positively affect an operator’s ORS event history and will benefit the final safety rating. On the other hand, a cof failure is a negative event, with each fault detected carrying its own weighting, according to severity or risk.

Every time a vehicle fails a CoF inspection, there will be an adverse effect on an operator’s safety rating, so it is important vehicles pass CoF inspection first time, every time.

To achieve an excellent ORS rating there needs to be a proactive and consistent commitment to vehicle safety all year round.

Pass CoF inspection first time, every time:

• Ensure vehicles are up to standard before presenting them for inspection. A service provider can do this for you.
• Implement a comprehensive maintenance programme to ensure vehicles are safe and legal at all times.
• Drivers should inspect vehicles before every trip (refer to Roadside inspection guidelines for heavy vehicles).
• Have a system in place to report vehicle faults and action repairs.
• Make sure you are familiar with the Heavy Vehicle Brake Rule requirements and changes to the way that heavy vehicle brakes will be tested (refer to Heavy Vehicle Brakes Rule).
• Ensure vehicles are not overloaded when presented for inspection.
• Make sure the correct ts l number is displayed on vehicles when presenting them for inspection.

By adopting the suggestions above, operators will:

• ensure vehicles pass a CoF first time, every time
• avoid the stress and cost of last minute repairs
• avoid the disruption and loss of income that comes with having vehicles off the road.

For more information

• talk to a vehicle standards advisor or transport regulatory advisor at your nearest NZTA regional office
• T 0800 822 422
• www.landtransport.govt.nz/commercial/operator-rating-system

Page updated: 10 March 2009