Left-hand Drive Enthusiasts Federation
PO Box 83 183
Edmonton
Auckland
Media release
May 23, 2005
Left-hand Drive Enthusiasts Demand Action
More than 3000 left-hand drive enthusiasts have banded together to lobby Land Transport New Zealand to keep its promise
to review the law governing the importation of late model left-hand drive vehicles.
The Left-hand Drive Enthusiasts Federation believes the law is grossly unfair in its current form. The law states that a
left-hand drive vehicle (under GVM 3,500) less than 20-years old must be converted to right-hand drive in order to be
registered for use in New Zealand, unless the vehicle has been registered in the importer's name for 90-days prior to
its importation.
The LHD Enthusiasts Federation comprises Mustang, Corvette, Ferrari, BMW, Cadillac-La Salle, Buick, American Classic and
American Muscle car clubs, plus Pukekohe Hot Rod Club and the National Street Rod Association. The group also has the
backing of the New Zealand Federation of Motoring Clubs and interest from the wider enthusiast community is growing
daily.
Former Senior Chief Traffic Officer, Bob Davies, who served 23 years in the Ministry of Transport, is one of the group's
spokespersons. He says, "I can say categorically that in all my years of active involvement in road safety, I know of no
cases of an accident being caused through a vehicle being left-hand drive. European and American tourists driving on the
wrong side of the road in right-hand drive cars is a far more significant problem."
Mr. Davies is also a former owner of a left-hand drive vehicle. "With the benefit of those years driving LHD in New
Zealand, I can confirm my long-held belief that there is no road safety related reason to be concerned with LHD vehicles
being driven in New Zealand by enthusiasts.
"I understand the motivations of the antagonists and protagonists but on balance there is no reason to keep the 90-day
rule, which has nothing to do with making vehicles safer. It is mere gate-keeping and there are better ways," he says.
The main issue worrying the LHD enthusiasts who convert their vehicles to right-hand drive is that the carefully
engineered frontal impact standards of their "collectible" vehicles may be affected in ways not anticipated by the
manufacturer.
Mr Davies says, "When the frontal impact rule was signed in December 2001, it meant any vehicles imported after April
2002 would be required to comply with a recognised frontal impact standard, such as the American FMVSS208 compliance,
which is one of the most rigorous in the world.
"Vehicles produced by their original manufacturer and imported by our members meet these standards. We believe that
after a non-factory conversion, the integrity of the design is severely compromised. This occurs to such an extent that
any benefit from conversion is far outweighed by the loss of design integrity on such complicated safety systems as
airbags and the untested effect on impact safety zones."
Jeff Tobin, another spokesperson for the group says, "This re-engineering, at great expense to the enthusiast owner, is
unnecessary. As history has shown, vehicles of this sort are highly admired and valued when kept in their original
factory condition. Vehicles that are radically altered or customised, traditionally lose their collectibility, value and
favour within the enthusiast community."
Whilst evidence gathered shows there are no problems driving LHD vehicles on New Zealand roads, the LHD Enthusiasts
Federation is keen, like the Government, that the rules are not so radically altered as to allow a deluge of left-hand
drive vehicles into the country.
The Federation has put together a draft proposal which seeks to allow an "enthusiasts' exemption". Such an exemption
would have strict control criteria to ensure bona fide identification of the enthusiast through the nationwide umbrella
of the NZFOMC and deterring the commercial importation of LHD vehicles.
LTNZ says that by registering under different names, importers have brought left-hand drive vehicles into the country
more frequently than once every five years, in contravention of the law. It admits that it lacks the resources to police
the problem.
Genuine enthusiasts say, however, that they don't want to see this part of the law relaxed. They merely want the 90-day
rule rescinded.
"We want LTNZ to remove the rule, with its inequitable provisions and to put in place a system of individual importation
and tracking of these vehicles to stop resale within five years. We are offering to assist LTNZ in its policing
process," says Mr. Davies.
The Federation has set up a forum on its website (www.nzmustang.com) where left-hand drive vehicle owners can comment on
the rule and its effects. To date, in excess of 800 LHD vehicle owners and enthusiast associations have voiced their
concerns. The Federation has also set up a freepost box number (Freepost Box 83-183, Edmonton Auckland) to which owners
may write to express their views.
ENDS