Code 1st Driving School

29/10/2026

The warrant of fitness system changes on 1 November 2026. Many of you won’t need to get a WoF as often. From 1 November:

• People who buy a new car will need their next WoF when the car is 4 years old.
• Cars between 4–14 years old will need a WoF every 2 years (previous it was yearly). We're doing this in phases (see a few bullets below).
• Cars over 14 years old will need a WoF yearly (previously it was every 6 months for vehicles registered before 1 January 2000).
• Motorcycles registered before 1 January 2000 will need a WoF yearly (previously it was every 6 months).

We'll make the change for cars between 4–14 years old in phases:

• From 1 November 2026, cars first registered on or after 1 November 2019 need a WoF every 2 years.
• From 1 November 2027, cars first registered from 1 November 2013 to 31 October 2019 will move to needing a WoF every 2 years.

Expiry dates for all current WoFs won’t change. That means you’ll still have to get a WoF when your vehicle’s current one expires. Your vehicle’s next WoF due date will reflect the above changes.

WoF inspections now check for warning lights for driver assists such as lane keep and automatic emergency braking – what we call "advanced driver assistance systems". You’ll need to fix a malfunctioning ADAS to get a WoF.

We’ve made these changes to the WoF system because for a long time we’ve had very frequent vehicle inspections compared to other countries. Modern vehicles are safer and more reliable than older vehicles, so it’s safer to have less frequent inspections. This’ll save you time and money.

It’s still your responsibility to maintain your vehicle to the WoF standard between inspections. To reinforce this we’ve increased fines:

• The fine for driving a vehicle with a WoF that’s expired by more than 2 months is now $350.
• The fine for driving a vehicle with a wheel or tyre that wouldn’t pass an inspection is now a minimum of $350 and up to $1000 (the maximum court-ordered fine).

Check your tyres, lights, indicators, windscreen wipers, and mirrors at least once a month and before a long trip. Also check your brakes are working well, and rust isn’t affecting the safety of your vehicle. Our website has more information on brakes and rust: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/check-your-car-safety-basics

It’s good to get your vehicle serviced yearly or every 10,000 kilometres (whichever happens first).

The above changes apply to light vehicles that need a WoF – so this includes trailers and caravans.

Also from 1 November 2026, rental vehicles that get a certificate of fitness will need a CoF A yearly, and will also be checked for malfunctioning ADAS.

01/10/2026

Today (1 October 2026) 4 new road rules have become law. Here's what they are:

The aim of the new rules is to make people’s travel safer and better reflect how people already use the roads. From today 1 October:

• Kids 12-years-old and younger can now ride their bikes on the footpath. Parents and caregivers are now also allowed to ride with them. Keep an eye out for kids on bikes when entering or leaving driveways.

• You’ll now be able to ride your e-scooter in cycle lanes. This’ll mean e-scooter riders can get to where they’re going more efficiently. The speed limit still applies to e-scooters, and we highly recommend that you wear a helmet when riding.

• There’s now a minimum passing gap of 1.5m when passing people riding bikes, horses or e-scooters that are travelling in your lane and heading in the same direction as you. This only applies to people driving motor vehicles or riding motorbikes. The 1.5m passing gap doesn’t apply to parked cars or people that are travelling in a different lane to you. If it’s not safe to pass, then you’ll need to wait and pass when it’s safe.

• Everyone is now required to give way to buses that’re signalling that they’re leaving bus stops, the roadside or bus lanes on roads that’re 60km/h or less. This new rule allows for buses to safely re-enter traffic.

Earlier this year we asked for your feedback on these changes. We passed your feedback onto the Minister of Transport – there was broad support for the changes the Government proposed, and the Minister decided on the above.

We’ll keep you updated here – follow us if you aren’t already to get updates. There's also more information on our website: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/driving-skills/new-lane-use-rules

10/09/2026

29/07/2026

You must signal for at least 3 seconds before moving left or right. It's the law.

That means signalling for at least 3 seconds before turning, changing lanes, pulling out from a kerb or parking space, or otherwise changing direction.

This is especially important in winter. Visibility is reduced in bad weather. People around you need to understand what you’re doing so they have time to adjust their speed – especially on slippery roads.

Signalling around roundabouts is different. As you can see in section 3.10(5), the law doesn't state a minimum time you must signal at roundabouts. That's because some roundabouts are small. But the law still requires you to at least show a signal so everyone else knows the direction you’re travelling.

When the weather is bad, always check our pages to see if state highways are affected before you travel. Follow us if you aren’t already. You can find more information in this post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CmQR6EXxn/

17/07/2026

You’ll all be familiar with this light on a car – you must turn it on for at least 3 seconds before turning or changing lanes.

It’s your indicator, of course – or if you want to get technical, your “direction indicator lamp”. There’s 2 of them on the front, 2 of them on the back, and 2 of them on the side of your vehicle.

By law you must signal for at least 3 seconds before moving left or right. As we said above, that means turning or changing lanes, and it also includes pulling out from a kerb or parking space, or otherwise changing direction.

This is especially important in winter. Visibility is reduced in bad weather. People around you need to understand what you’re doing so they have time to adjust their speed – especially on slippery roads.

We always get asked about roundabouts when we talk about signalling, and often you won’t be able to signal for 3 seconds as you’re travelling around a roundabout. That’s why the law is different for roundabouts – there’s no minimum time you must signal at roundabouts, but you must always do your best to signal so everyone else knows the direction you’re travelling.

When the weather is bad, always check our pages to see if state highways are affected before you travel. Follow us if you aren’t already. You can find more information in this post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CmQR6EXxn/

30/06/2026

With School Holidays approaching you may like to consider doing some driving lessons.
You can book your appointments online so you can choose the dates and times that suit.

https://www.code1st.net/booking.html
Regards Tony

www.code1st.net

tony@code1st. net

South Auckland Professional Driving Lessons, auto or manual, including FREE Lesson. Online Booking available

30/06/2026

With School Holidays approaching you may like to consider doing some driving lessons.
You can book your appointments online so you can choose the dates and times that suit.

https://www.code1st.net/booking.html
Regards Tony

www.code1st.net

tony@code1st. net

Book your driving lessons online with Code 1st Driving School's qualified Driving Instructor

12/06/2026

It’s the law: You must drive far enough behind the person in front of you so that you can stop safely if they suddenly stop.

This is your responsibility. You must keep a safe following distance behind the person in front of you.

Practically, that means in good conditions you should keep a 2-second following distance between you and someone in front of you.

In bad weather you need to increase your following distance. This is especially important in winter – it takes longer to stop on slippery roads such as when it’s raining, and even more so in icy or snowy conditions. For that reason, in bad weather you should increase your following distance to 4 seconds.

There’s never an acceptable reason to tailgate, regardless of what people in front of you are doing. It’s illegal.

Yes, people travelling slowly must keep left and must pull over to let people pass – that's the law as well – but following too closely isn’t acceptable. The law is clear on this.

The best way to measure your following distance is to watch the person in front of you as they pass a landmark such as a sign or tree, and count “one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand-and-two” (and on to “-four” in bad weather). If you pass the landmark before you finish counting, you’re following too closely.

When the weather is bad, always check our pages to see if state highways are affected before you travel. Follow us if you aren’t already. You can find more information in this post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HJqwn4Sxa/