The District Court has convicted an employer after one of its fleet vehicle’s brakes failed.  The brakes failed when the driver was coming down a steep hill and he lost control.  The vehicle crashed into another vehicle and then through a safety barrier.  The driver of the vehicle suffered bruising and whiplash.  The driver of the other vehicle he crashed into lost the sight in one eye and also suffered multiple fractures to their ribs and face and damaged lungs.

Upon investigation it was found that the vehicle’s brakes were not included in a vehicle safety checklist for the employer and so had not been properly maintained. 

A vehicle’s brakes are, of course, an essential item to properly maintain and the failure to do so had very severe consequences for an innocent passer-by in this case.




Alan Knowsley
Health & Safety Lawyer
Wellington