Gary has been inspecting vehicles for almost three decades. For him, it\u2019s personal; his mother was killed in a car accident. \u201cKeeping cars safe is my passion,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
South Africa born Gary is an A Grade mechanic with 28 years\u2019 experience on the bench. He has been in New Zealand for 12 years and at VINZ Hamilton since 2014. Like all VINZ inspectors he\u2019s qualified to carry out a wide range of inspections including WoF, COF-B, and Vehicle Entry Certifications.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver time I have learned a great deal about the rules, issues and complexities around vehicle safety,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m still learning today as rules are amended and technology improves.<\/p>\n
He says a good day at work is when someone thanks him for pointing out the safety problems that led him to fail their vehicle. \u201cI\u2019m telling them something that they wouldn\u2019t have known otherwise, something which, if I hadn\u2019t identified it, would have meant their vehicle was not safe to drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sometimes It can be hard getting a failed inspection message across to a person who\u2019s not mechanically minded,\u201d he says.\u201d As far as they\u2019re concerned it\u2019s simple; the car goes when you want it to, it stops when you want it to and there are no funny noises.<\/p>\n
The job is challenging, he says, and always fresh, \u201cI\u2019ve been doing this for 28 years and I\u2019m still learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
As well as, WoF, CoF and Vehicle Entry Certifications, Gary is also involved in serious crash investigations. VINZ Hamilton is appointed by the Serious Crash Unit of the New Zealand Police Force.<\/p>\n
When a serious accident occurs, the police close off the road, take photos and have the vehicle towed to the salvage yard. It\u2019s only then the police, are allowed, to call in the inspectors. This happens once or twice a week in Hamilton. The police can explain their concerns, for example, did the brakes fail? But Gary doesn\u2019t just look at that he carries out a rigorous inspection of the vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not there to determine the cause or appoint blame,\u201d he says, \u201conly to comment on the vehicle\u2019s condition.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are risks associated with these investigations. There may be biosecurity hazards, like blood. And if there is broken glass or metal the inspector may need to wear safety glasses \u2014 or a protective mask if the vehicle caught fire.<\/p>\n
The serious crash inspector prepares a file that may be used in evidence as, in a confidential expert report on the facts with respect to the vehicle. Three categories of evidence are considered:<\/p>\n
\u201cOur job is to give a qualified, objective report on the vehicle\u2019s condition,\u201d says Gary. \u201cWe don\u2019t speculate or make any conjecture about what may have contributed to the crash or caused any injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s up to the police to decide how they want to use our report. There are several possible outcomes. They may decide to present the evidence to the coroner, if the accident resulted in a death. They may decide that the evidence is not sufficiently conclusive and file the report. Or they may bring a prosecution, in which case we may have to appear in court as expert witnesses. That happens two or three times a year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gary stresses that this is not a VINZ decision \u201cWe provide a detailed, factual, accurate report. In these reports we do not make recommendations. If we can see the brake pads or tyres are worn, we say so. We don\u2019t speculate about how this affected the car\u2019s behaviour. We don\u2019t offer an opinion. We don\u2019t make any comment on the condition of the road or the effect that we think any road safety features (like rumble strips, media strips, barriers) might have had. Coroners can comment on that. We can\u2019t. That\u2019s not our role.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gary has been inspecting vehicles for almost three decades. For him, it\u2019s personal; his mother was killed in a car accident. \u201cKeeping cars safe is my passion,\u201d he says. South Africa born Gary is an A Grade mechanic with 28 years\u2019 experience on the bench. He has been in New Zealand for 12 years and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":52985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[1],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n