Thousands of heavy vehicles have passed Commercial Vehicle Safety Centres (CVSCs) without stopping after being electronically instructed to pull in for inspection, according to data released by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
Figures show that 5,373 heavy vehicles failed to enter a CVSC between May and November 2025, despite roadside systems identifying them for further inspection. CVSCs use cameras, weigh-in-motion sensors and other screening technology to assess vehicles as they approach–directing those flagged for potential non-compliance to stop for checks.
Highest non-entry recorded at Bay of Plenty site
The largest number of missed inspections occurred at the Paengaroa CVSC in the Western Bay of Plenty, where 2,855 vehicles did not pull in during the six-month period. Around 1,000 non-entries were recorded at both the Glasnevin site in North Canterbury and the Ohakea centre near Palmerston North.
There are currently six operational CVSCs nationwide, located at Glasnevin, Paengaroa, Stanley Street in Auckland, Ohakea, and on both the northbound and southbound lanes of State Highway 1 at Rakaia in Canterbury. NZTA plans to bring seven additional centres online by June 2027, including sites at Taupō, Bombay, Mackays Crossing, Albany, Marsden, Napier and Tauranga.
Failure to stop not always intentional
NZTA head of regulatory strategic programs Emma Bevin said a vehicle passing a CVSC without stopping does not necessarily mean a driver is deliberately avoiding inspection.
“There are several factors that may affect a vehicle’s ability to enter a CVSC, such as road layout, traffic conditions or operational constraints,” she said. “Because of these variables, we are unable to collect precise data on deliberate evasion.”
Bevin said enforcement responses vary by site. Vehicle registrations may be flagged so that staff at other centres are alerted if the same vehicle passes through again.
“Broadly, registrations can be flagged in the system so other centres are aware the vehicle may have evaded at another site. If the vehicle passes another centre, this flag prompts staff to signal it again,” she said.
“Police may also act on this information during patrols, operations, or roadside inspections.”
Data used to identify compliance patterns
As more CVSCs come into operation, NZTA says it will be able to better analyse trends and identify whether repeated failures to stop are linked to individual operators.
“By linking registrations to the operator’s Transport Service Licence [TSL], our compliance teams can determine whether the issue stems from a lack of understanding requiring education, or if it may indicate intentional evasion, which could lead to investigation or audit,” Bevin said.
Drivers who fail to stop when directed can face a $1,000 fine. Over the past five years, police have issued 49 infringement notices and initiated three prosecutions for failing to comply with CVSC directions.
Inspections continue to uncover vehicle defects
Since CVSCs were introduced in 2019, more than 11,000 heavy vehicles have undergone inspection, with 596 defects identified. These have included faults in braking systems, steering and suspension components, tyres and wheels, and lighting.
Between 2012 and 2021, heavy goods vehicles were involved in 20.5 per cent of all fatal crashes. CVSCs were introduced to replace older, manually operated weigh stations, which relied on random vehicle selection and lower-technology systems.
NZTA says the newer centres are designed to improve detection of unsafe vehicles while allowing compliant operators to continue their journey without stopping.
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