Associate Transport Minister James Meager has decided not to make autonomous emergency braking, lane support and EV acoustic warnings compulsory on imported light vehicles, because officials found little added safety benefit and possible extra cost.
Making autonomous emergency braking compulsory on every imported car sounds like an easy safety win. The Government has decided against it. Associate Transport Minister James Meager will not go ahead with a plan to require advanced safety features on light vehicles entering New Zealand, and that includes used imports.
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) confirmed the decision. Public consultation on the proposal ran from 29 October to 17 December last year. Before deciding, Meager had asked officials for more analysis.
What the Mandate Would Have Required
The proposal covered three technologies for light vehicles:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Lane departure warning or lane keep assist
- An acoustic warning system for hybrids and EVs
New models would have had to comply from October 2026, which is this month. Existing models and used imports would have followed in July 2027.
Why the Government Stepped Back
NZTA says Meager noted that many new vehicles arriving here already have these features. They are also expected to become standard over time. In his view, a mandate would mostly speed up something that is likely to happen anyway.
Officials at the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport came to a similar conclusion. Their analysis found the rules would add little safety benefit and could push vehicle prices up.
Used Importers Breathe Out
The Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association (VIA) welcomed the decision. Chief executive Greig Epps says it weighs safety improvements against affordability and the need to renew New Zealand’s ageing fleet.
For VIA, the main worry was supply. Its December submission estimated that around half of the affordable used import pipeline was at risk if the rules started in July 2027. Last month, it told AutoTalk that the lane support requirements were the biggest obstacle.
The association wanted much later dates. It proposed 2035 for AEB and lane departure warning on used light vehicles, and 2037 for lane keep assist.
The Ageing Fleet Problem
Epps says the average used import is now around 10 to 11 years old. Safety technology that appears on new cars overseas takes time to reach prices New Zealanders can afford.
He argues that strict rules could backfire. If replacement vehicles become harder to get, people may keep driving their older cars for longer. That would undercut the safety gains the regulation was meant to deliver.
Epps says the decision does not mean giving up on safer vehicles. Instead, he argues, regulation should show benefits beyond what the market would achieve by itself.
What It Means for Buyers
For anyone shopping for a decade-old import, nothing changes. Cars without AEB or lane assist can still come into the country, and their prices won’t carry a compliance premium. NZTA has published a summary of the consultation submissions for anyone who wants the full range of views.
The catch is that improving the fleet’s safety now depends on this technology filtering through the used market on its own schedule. With the average import already ten years old, that process is slow. Every car landing today without AEB may still be in daily use on our roads for years to come.
