We may soon be paying more ACC levies on older cars. It’s all about safety, apparently. Never mind it’s penalising people who a) choose to drive older cars, and put the rest of their money to use elsewhere and b) simply cannot afford anything newer.
“If there’s a greater risk associated with it then that’s just what goes with it. People are making choices every day as to the risks they choose to take and if they choose to be in an older, less safe car, then is it fair that the rest of the community meets the cost of that risk?”
Uh, no. Some of us make choices to buy cars that we can AFFORD.
We choose cars that we don’t have to go into debt to finance. That may mean being in an older or less safe car. It means driving carefully and safely, as everyone should be anyway. Again, this is penalising the less well off, who can’t afford to purchase near new cars.
Dog and Lemon Guide editor (great resource – a must have book if you’re car-hunting):
“It’s not going to change the behaviour of the people most likely to cause accidents and it’s simply rewarding rich people and punishing poor people.
“The simplest way to ensure that poor people drive safer cars is to ensure that government departments buy the safest cars in their class.“
Thank god. Someone with a brain.
