Improving land transport to make a better New Zealand
Land Transport Act 1998
The Land Transport Act 1998 aims to:
- deter serious and repeat offenders
- provide for an improved driver licensing system
- reduce risks on New Zealand's roads
- consolidate land transport safety legislation.
Tough new penalties
New enforcement provisions in the Act aim to make our roads safer by getting tough on traffic offenders. The Act sets out road users' duties and responsibilities, and specifies offences and penalties. Penalties in earlier legislation have been reviewed to better reflect the relative seriousness of traffic offending. The Act also allows judges to take account of the presence of aggravating factors such as repeat offending and the degree of intoxication.
Find out more about changes to offences and penalties
New driver licensing regime
The Act sets up the framework for a new driver licensing regime, which comes into force in May 1999. The new regime includes a new photo driver licence and the introduction of tough new penalties for serious and repeat traffic offenders: roadside licence suspension and roadside vehicle impoundment.
A modern statute
The Act incorporates the Transport Act 1962 (except its transport services licensing and road management elements), Part II of the Transport (Vehicle and Driver Registration and Licensing) Act 1986 (which deals with driver licensing), and most of the Land Transport Act 1993. The Act continues the existence of the Land Transport Safety Authority, which was established under the 1993 Act.
Last updated: April 1999