At the moment, all cars which are less than 6 years old need a WoF (Warrant of Fitness) every 12 months. Older cars need a WoF every 6 months.

　　This will change. New cars will not need a WoF for the first 3 years. Cars which are between 4 and 12 years old will only need a WoF every 12 months. Older cars will need a WoF every 6 months.

　　A WoF is a safety check. It costs about $50. These things are checked: wipers, tyres, lights, door locks, seat belts, brakes, horn, steering, exhaust (to check it’s not too noisy), spare wheel and suspension. If you don’t have a WoF sticker on your car, you will get a $200 fine.

　　New Zealand has many older cars. This is the reason for frequent WoF checks.

　　Vocabulary

　　?announced – told the media e.g. radio, TV, newspapers

　　?wipers – used when it’s raining to clean the windscreen

　　?horn – makes a noise

　　?steering – makes the car go in the direction you want it to go

　　?exhaust – at the back of the car, burnt gas comes out the exhaust pipe

　　?suspension – springs which help to make your car go smoothly

　　?frequent (adj) – often (adv)