Operator safety ratings

Roadside inspections

Print version: Roadside inspections (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 roadside inspection will positively affect an operator’s ORS event history and will benefit the final safety rating. On the other hand, failing a roadside inspection is a negative event, with each fault detected carrying its own weighting, according to severity or risk. Note: Any offences detected during a roadside inspection will also contribute to the safety rating. (For more information refer to infocard Offences.)

Roadside inspections can happen anywhere, at any time, meaning an operator may be subject to any number during a rating period.

To achieve an excellent safety rating an operator will need to take a proactive and consistent approach to vehicle management, with a year-round commitment to vehicle safety. Vehicles must meet CoF inspection standards every day of operation.

To pass a roadside inspection every time, any time:

• 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
• choose the most appropriate vehicle for the job
• drivers must be appropriately licensed and trained for their job
• drivers must complete all logbook requirements
• ensure vehicles are not overloaded
• ensure vehicles have a current CoF and vehicle licence (registration)
• ensure vehicles are correctly licensed for the service being operated and the correct transport service licence (TSL) number is displayed as required.

By adopting the suggestions above operators will:

• improve the likelihood of passing a roadside inspection (remember these can happen anywhere, anytime)
• avoid costly tickets and the loss of income from having vehicles off the road
• avoid unscheduled repair costs.

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